President Mark Schoeff Jr. kicked off the general membership meeting of the National Press Club on Friday, May 29, by reminding members that now more than ever he’s determined to help push back against forces conspiring to limit press freedom.
Those forces include the administration of President Donald Trump, but also countries overseas where journalists are imprisoned, killed and censored for reporting the news.
Schoeff also faced questions about the Club’s financial situation and membership, as well as concerns about programming and subscriptions in the library — and even about whether the Club is doing enough to bring members together for tennis tournaments or 5K races.
Most immediately, Schoeff vowed to get a new pilot “grab and go” lunch program off the ground, aimed at feeding Club members who may not have time for a full sit-down restaurant meal and might want a lower-cost eating option.
But supporting journalists in danger — literal or figurative — will continue to be the focus of the National Press Club, Schoeff promised.
"We have spoken out forcefully on behalf of journalists facing detention, harassment or restriction,” Schoeff said. “The Club will always stand up and remind those in power that the public's right to know is non-negotiable.”
The Club and its affiliate, the National Press Club Journalism Institute, are doing far more than issuing press releases, said Schoeff and Institute Executive Director Beth Francesco.
They convene training sessions, provide career advice and give free temporary memberships for journalists who have lost their jobs, as well as sponsoring a job fair that attracted 250 people.
Francesco said the Institute has signed on to court cases, is helping journalists in legal trouble, and distributed $50,000 to reporters who are at risk of deportation because of job losses at Voice of America or other news organizations. The Institute is also sponsoring reporters from Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East who are here in the U.S. to work on their portfolio and learn the craft.
The meeting opened with nuts and bolts of the Club operation.
Club Membership Secretary Katie Vogel said membership stands at 2,330, with some growth, but a small decline in young members. There were 751 membership visits to the Club in April, of which 280 were unique members. And there are 136 new members from last year. The Club has about $4.6 million in reserve, down from $4.8 million a year ago; another $17 million is set aside in the Rockwell fund.
One Club member asked worriedly about whether a stock market crash could decimate the Club’s investments; Schoeff said he feels the assets are reasonably and wisely diversified.
Another member wondered about the decision to combine the Press Freedom Center with the Institute, implying that it was done in secrecy. Francesco and Schoeff noted that it’s been widely discussed and was handled in the open and was done largely for efficiency and to avoid redundancy. “This is not a secret but sorry that it has been perceived that way,” Schoeff said.
In the last part of the meeting, Schoeff faced questions about whether the Club could expand its subscription offerings in the library (no, it’s too expensive) and if they could do more to foster socializing opportunities for members (sure, but it requires a baseline of attendance and interest).
Finally, one member asked if the Club ought to weigh in on the turmoil at CBS’s “60 Minutes,” which has seen defections and new leadership under Bari Weiss, who founded The Free Press and was recently named editor of CBS News.
“It's a slippery slope… . I’m not inclined to critique internal CBS News decisions,” Schoeff said.
