Like journalism profession, Club copes with challenging times
Layoffs and consolidation in the journalism profession, a partial government shutdown and increasing threats to press freedom are posing challenges to the National Press Club, but the organization is resilient, Club President Mike Balsamo said last week.
“The National Press Club is steady, but we are not immune,” Balsamo said at the Club’s General Membership Meeting on Oct. 24. “What so many of you are feeling in your own lives and workplaces — we’re feeling, too. The cost of everything from food and wine to contracts and technology has risen sharply. What used to be predictable is no longer guaranteed. The reality is, we are on a rocky road — not because of one decision or one issue, but because of the same pressures affecting nearly every institution right now.”
Balsamo said the Club is responding well to the uncertainty.
“We are navigating that reality the way good journalists always do — with facts, with data, with focus, and with discipline,” he said. “We are watching spending and tightening where we need to, planning carefully, and keeping our eyes on the long game. That’s not weakness — that’s stewardship. And I can tell you: this board and our staff are united in one goal — to make sure the National Press Club remains stable and strong, while never losing sight of our mission.”
Club defends press freedom
The Club has not wavered in its defense of press freedom, Balsamo said. He highlighted the Club’s speaking out against the Pentagon’s stripping credentials from dozens of journalists.
“To shut them out is to shut out the public itself,” Balsamo said. “And so we said what needed to be said: The Pentagon may close its doors to reporters, but it cannot close the public’s right to know. If we want to stand up for imprisoned reporters in Russia or China or Gaza, we must first ensure that access and accountability are protected here — in our own capital, in our own institutions, and in our own democracy.”
Balsamo also highlighted the Press Freedom Center’s Emergency Assistance Program, which provides helps journalists in crisis with expenses such as rent, food, child care and medical bills.
“In recent months, that fund has helped reporters keep their homes, cover emergency expenses, and stay afloat during some of the darkest chapters of their careers,” Balsamo said. “That’s not charity — that’s solidarity. That’s what it means to be the National Press Club: we protect the profession, and we protect the people who make it possible.”
Revenue declines
Through Sept. 30, revenue was just over seven figures below budget and significantly down year-over-year, said Club Treasurer Herb Jackson. Costs were below budget but higher than last year.
“We often lose money in summer months and make it up in the fall, but at the same point in 2024, there was only a $50,000 loss,” Jackson said, noting membership revenue is down by 7% over 2024. “Dues generate only 9% of overall revenue. Given the turmoil in the industry, the Board is not recommending dues increase in 2026.”
Despite an overall loss for the year, Jackson is cautiously optimistic that positive returns in October through December will improve the bottom line.
Membership drops
Membership Secretary Steve Reilly said there are currently 2,385 Club members, a 5.4% decline from last year. Journalist membership dropped 5.9% and communicator memberships declined by 4.7%, which he attributed to consolidation, layoffs, and shrinking employer support for professional memberships.
There is some good news.
Membership applications are being processed more quickly, with decisions being made within days rather than weeks. Reilly said the Membership Committee approved 358 applications from August 2024 to July 2025, and 70% converted into memberships. In the prior year, the Club was achieving a conversion rate of 40-50%.
Despite difficult times for journalism, the Club is meeting the moment, as it has throughout its history, Balsamo said.
“We have weathered wars, recessions, and pandemics,” he said. “We have stood up to presidents, confronted power, and protected colleagues in danger. And through every test, the National Press Club has endured — because our purpose has never changed. We are here to defend truth. To support one another. And to ensure that the next generation of journalists can do their jobs freely, safely, and without fear. That’s what defines us. That’s what unites us. And that’s what will carry us forward.”