The St. Louis Press Club is for those who make, cover and
influence the news. Our mission is to raise awareness and funding for student journalism scholarships to help ensure the future of quality media. We serve our members through professional development activities to bolster their skills to address the changing needs of the global communications profession and to offer social activities that build a vital media community.
Next Press Club Board Meeting
12 Noon, MONDAY, June 19th
All too soon, the St. Louis Press Club joins Cardinal Nation in mourning the passing of another legend of the Cardinals press box who helped chronicle the legacy of the club for its legions of fans. Rick Hummel, affectionately known as “The Commish,” used his mastery of the written word and his encyclopedic knowledge of the game to tell the stories of games and of the hundreds of players who wore the Birds on the Bat over his five-plus decades of coverage for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Much like Mike Shannon, who left us only a month ago, Hummel loved his work. It was much more than a job. For Rick, it was a passion. No wonder his numerous achievements include membership in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Press Club named Rick “Media Person of the Year” in 2014. We will miss him, and want to express our heartfelt condolences to his family.
Kent Martin President
St. Louis Press Club
Statement on the Passing of Mike Shannon
St. Louis Press Club
April 30, 2023
The St. Louis Press Club joins Cardinal Nation in mourning the passing of Mike Shannon, who
brought us more than five decades of the sounds and memories of Cardinal baseball. For so
many Cardinal fans, he was the Cardinals – urging everyone to “Get up, get up, baby!”, when a
ball left a bat that – we all hoped – was headed for the upper deck.
For this and so many other reasons, the Press Club named Mike “Media Person of the Year” in
2010 and created a special scholarship in Mike’s name. The Mike Shannon Scholarship for
Broadcast Journalism will help a budding journalist pursue their own professional career.
Anyone who is interested can contribute to Mike's scholarship through the following link: Donate to Mike’s Scholarship.
Kent Martin President
St. Louis Press Club
Join St. Louis Press Club members for a nature-inspired writing workshop/guided tour of the Missouri Botanical Garden from 1:30-3 p.m. on Saturday, June 10, to cultivate greater knowledge and techniques to describe our natural world.
Our workshop leaders: Sean Doherty, vice president of education for the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Michaella Thornton,
award-winning writer and educator whose work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net and Best Microfiction.
Space is limited. Register now for this unique workshop. We strive to host inclusive, accessible events. To request an accommodation
or for questions, please contact St. Louis Press Club Executive Director Laura Schnarr at info@stlpressclub.org.
Cost: $20 for Press Club members, $30 for nonmembers.
Program Details: Doherty and Thornton will lead a roughly one-hour educational tour guiding communicators and writers to help identify plants, increase observational and descriptive skills, and build vocabulary, all to lead to writing more perceptively about landscapes and the natural world. A brief writing exercise will be included in the workshop. Please bring a notebook or electronic tablet.
Participation is limited. You may register through the St. Louis Press Club at stlpressclub.org.
See you on June 10 for World-Building for Writers....at the Missouri Botanical Garden!
$5,000 Mike Shannon Scholarship in partnership with St. Louis Press Club for Sports Broadcast Journalism/ Sports Writers
$4,000 Elizabeth Mannen Berges Scholarship in partnership with St. Louis Press Club for Communications
$4,000 David Lipman Journalism Scholarship in partnership with St. Louis Post-Dispatch & St. Louis Press Club for a journalism student at the University Of Missouri School of Journalism
$3,600 Alice Handelman Scholarship for Feature Writing
$2,500 Ronald W. Wade Journalism Scholarship in Partnership with St. Louis Post-Dispatch & St. Louis Press Club
$1,500 Donald R. Burris Journalism Scholarship for Print, Broadcast or Digital Journalism
$1,500 Karlheinz and Doris Finzel Scholarship for Photojournalism
$1,500 Sarah Bryan Miller Scholarship for Music Communications
$1,000 Joan Foster Dames Scholarship for Journalism Studies for Women
$1,000 Joe Bonwich Scholarship for Communications
$1,000 Webster-Kirkwood Times Newspapers & Webster University Journalism Foundation Scholarship
$1,000 United Media Guild Journalism Foundation Scholarship in partnership with St. Louis Press Club for Communications
$1,000 St. Louis Press Club High School Scholarship for Journalism
$1,000 Nancy Miller Scholarship in partnership with St. Louis Press Club for Journalism
St. Louis Press Club's celebrated
online initiative, OurIN THE NOW, resumes following hiatus
More conversations with
St. Louis-area professional communicators about now happenings
May 19, 2023
Greetings, St. Louis Press Club members and followers,
We resume our celebrated series,Our IN THE NOW, following a long hiatus.
Like most institutions and individuals, we're feeling our way to that "new normal,” so deciding to resume this series, among other programming endeavors, just made great sense. There's so much to talk about and think about, with many interesting media-communications subjects to tackle. And, as a point of information, when we came up with the series title, we always thought it would foreshadow a sense of currency, something St. Louis Press Club likes to underscore for its stakeholders.
With our intentions clearly in focus, we have special thanks for St. Louis Post-Dispatch Executive Editor, Alan Achkar for agreeing
to help
us kick off our renewed series. We're grateful to Alan for taking the time recently to talk to Dale Singer, journalist and St. Louis
Press Club board member, about his profession and what life "in the business" looks and feels like these days.
We're also pleased to inform our members and followers that we have commitments from several of the subjects in the original series
to talk about what they learned in the past three years, and how they're operating in the new, almost post-pandemic world.
Then there are those original respondents who told us they want to put the pandemic in the rearview mirror, proposing some thoughtful conversation starters they believe will add to a mix of media-focused content that is forward-thinking and far-reaching.
We accept those proposals with gratitude.
Please.... if you would like to participate in the series, or know of a communications professional who would help enliven our series, please contact our executive director, Laura Schnarr.
Thanks to all, and we'd love feedback on our series. Read More
Alan Achkar
St. Louis Press Club's Our IN THE NOW with Alan Achkar, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Executive
Editor recorded April 14, 2023, running time: 37:48
Recently, journalist and St. Louis Press Club board member, Dale Singer, sat down
with
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Executive Editor, Alan Achkar for the most recent Our IN THE NOW conversations. Highlights of the interview include Achkar’s comments on the following
P-D-specific topics. The Pulitzer Platform: “The platform has always been the soul of
the Post-Dispatch. We want very much to remember where we came from and what our founder’s vision was. It’s just as relevant today as it was 100-plus years ago.” Competing with digital news: “We no longer have a monopoly on people’s attention spans. Back in
the day, you got your information from newspapers, TV, maybe radio and that’s it. What technology has done is really force us to fight for people’s attention spans.” Online influence: “It influences everything. It has to.” News Philosophy: “I believe in a newsroom that is tough, that is pursuing tough stories, that is aggressive, is doing meaningful work.”
A Conversation with Chief White House
Correspondent Major Garrett
CBS Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett was in St. Louis on Tuesday
(April 18) promoting his new book "The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age
of the Big Lie" to a spellbound audience at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA). KMOX on-air personalities Amy Marxkors and Chris Rongey facilitated
the conversation with Garrett
about his book, a revelatory account
of the 2020 election
and the heroes brave enough to get it right.
The program was presented
by
KMOX and
sponsored by
COCA and Left Bank Books.
Photo from left right: Amy Marxkors, Major Garrett, Chris Rongey,
Indigo Sams, President & CEO of COCA
Our President’s Message
Dear Press Club Members and Friends,
We’re already halfway through March, so I hope by now anyone who made New Year’s resolutions has discovered how
well they’ve done with them (or, conversely, how much they regret making them up in the first place).
This is my first letter as president of the St. Louis Press Club. The position is a responsibility I embrace with full humility and gratitude: Humility, because taking the reins from Joan Berkman, who managed to steer our club so effectively and successfully through the pandemic
is a very tall order. And gratitude, because I now have a chance to pay back the profession where I’ve spent my entire
career
and experienced the greatest professional highs and lows anyone could imagine.
St. Louis is especially fortunate to have a press organization that can trace its roots back to circa Civil War (as noted
in a terrific article written by our historian, Rick Stoff, and located in our history section). The current edition – the Press Club
of Metropolitan St. Louis – was “born”: in 1955. Its membership consists of some of the finest practitioners of the craft
of communications in St. Louis – from the working media to marketing and advertising, the Press Club is a remarkable representation of the best St. Louis has to offer.
Today, it’s as vital and valuable as ever. Press freedom is a critical part of a democracy. It provides a necessary conduit
of information for the people of a free nation.
The Press Club’s primary goal is to provide scholarships to the journalists of tomorrow and we remain dedicated to this
pursuit. We also remain vigilant to protect and defend the principles of a press that must remain free and unfettered in
order
to fulfill
its responsibility to the nation.
Thank you for your interest in and support of the Press Club.
Press Club Welcomes Arlene Maminta Browne to Board of Directors
Arlene Maminta Browne
Arlene Maminta Browne, Principal of Robust Solutions, which provides strategic communications and community development for select small to mid-size businesses, has been named to the Board of the St. Louis Press Club. Current clients include Once Films, a nationally recognized boutique film production company focused on documentary-style short films for healthcare organizations, not-for-profit organizations, financial services, and more. In addition, Browne is an owner of Robust, a unique wine experience in Webster Groves, and has handled its marketing, public relations, and social media for the past 15 years earning a reputation as an award-winning restaurateur and numerous accolades over the years for "Restaurant of the Year" to "Best Wine Bar" from numerous media outlets such as St. Louis Magazine, Sauce, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Feast.
With more than 20 years of experience in the field of marketing, public relations, social media, networking and development, Browne has managed highly effective local and national campaigns in the political arena, the fitness industry, not-for-profit organizations and small to mid-size businesses with a special emphasis in the food and wine industry. National campaigns include True Fitness, The Lance Armstrong LIVESTRONG Brand Initiative, and The John Volpi Company/Volpi Foods, Inc.
A seasoned professional, Browne has developed valuable media relationships and successfully coordinated promotions and placements in top tier national publications and tv/cable networks, as well as, in other regional and local media. She has implemented and maintained cutting edge, highly effective social media campaigns, and has experience in brand-licensing and sales development.
Browne received her BA in English & Communications at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
"We are most fortunate to have the impressive communications and strategic planning expertise that Arlene brings to the Board and look forward to her creative leadership," said Joan Berkman, President, of St. Louis Press Club.
The St. Louis Press Club, which began in 1956, is a professional, social, and charitable organization of people who make, cover, influence, and consume the news. Their mission is to raise awareness and funding for student journalism scholarships.
St. Louis Press Club picks Robust wine bar owner as director
by Joe Holleman
Raise your glass to Arlene Maminta Browne, who recently was named to the St. Louis Press Club board of directors.
Browne is best-known as the owner of Robust Bistro & Wine Bar in Webster Groves, but she also is a veteran communicator. Read more
www.stltoday.com
The Places Music Has Taken Me: An Unfinished Story of Sarah Bryan Miller
By Miran Halen
ST. LOUIS PRESS CLUB RECEIVES $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP GRANT FROM BERGES FAMILY FOUNDATION
Elizabeth Mannen Berges
Elizabeth Mannen Berges, managing trustee of the Berges Family Foundation, is donating $10,000 to the St. Louis Press Club for scholarships to help journalism students acquire educational and professional skills leading to careers in journalism. The scholarship will be named in honor of Elizabeth Mannen Berges and will be open for full-time students pursuing a career in communications.
Elizabeth, who graduated both from Cornell University, where she studied economics and Japanese, and Ithaca College, where she majored in music and communications and played viola in its symphony orchestra said: "The future of journalism is critical to ensuring quality media; and our Foundation wants to encourage the best and brightest to enter the field," she said.
The Berges Family Foundation is dedicated to enriching St. Louis and encouraging giving in four focus areas, one of which is Youth Empowerment.
"We are most grateful for Elizabeth Mannen Berges and the Berges Family Foundation's gracious and generous donation to help us fulfill our mission to provide much-needed funding for student journalism scholarships," said Joan Berkman, president, of St. Louis Press Club.
Berges, a Wells Fargo financial advisor, has attracted national attention for her success in her field and as a philanthropist. She is passionate about both financial literacy and women’s health, and is herself a five-time cancer survivor. She is an active participant in corporate philanthropy efforts. In addition to her work for the family foundation, she is a St. Louis Woman of Achievement and a board member of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Gateway Greenway-Brickline Project and serves as an advisor to the St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness.
The St. Louis Press Club is for those who make, cover and influence the news. Its mission is to raise awareness and funding for student journalism scholarships. It serves its members through professional development activities to bolster their skills to address the changing needs of the global communications profession and to offer social activities that build a vital media community.
2022 Scholarship Recipients
Kelly Bowen of Webster University received the $5,000St. Louis Press Club/ St. Louis Cardinals Mike Shannon Scholarship for Sports Broadcast Journalism/ Sports Writers presented by the Press Club, the St. Louis Cardinals and Mike Shannon to a journalism student pursuing a career in sports broadcast journalism or sports writing.
Komlavi Adissem of University Of Missouri School of Journalism received the $4,000 St. Louis Press Club/St. Louis Post-Dispatch David Lipman Journalism Scholarship presented by the Press Club and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to a journalism student at the University Of Missouri School of Journalism.
Jordyn Grimes of Webster University received the $4,000 St. Louis Press Club Journalism Scholarship presented by the Press Club to a local journalism student.
Amelia Hurley of the University Of Missouri School of Journalism received the $3,600 Alice Handelman Scholarship for Feature Writing presented by the Press Club for journalism students pursuing a career in feature writing.
Katie Bolek Rich of Webster University received the $2,500Ronald W. Wade Journalism Scholarship presented by the Press Club and St. Louis Post-Dispatch to a minority journalism student.
Zoe Krause of University Of Missouri School of Journalism received the $1,500Donald R. Burris Journalism Scholarship presented by the St. Louis Press Club to a student pursuing a media career in print, broadcast or digital journalism.
Regan Mertz of University Of Missouri School of Journalism received the $1,500Karlheinz and Doris Finzel PhotojournalismScholarship presented to a student pursuing a photojournalism career.
Kelly Brown of Western Illinois University received the $1,500Sarah Bryan Miller Scholarship presented by the St. Louis Press Club to a student studying both communications and music.
Caitlin Reynolds of University Of Missouri School of Journalism received the $1,500FleishmanHillard Journalism Foundation Scholarship
Leah Schroeder of Parkway West High School received the $1,000 High School Journalism Scholarship presented by the Missouri Journalism Educators’ Association and the St. Louis Press Club to a graduating high school senior.
Annie Jennemann of University Of Missouri School of Journalism received the $1,500 Press Club Scholarship presented by the St. Louis Press Club to a student pursuing a career in communications.
Mikayla Higgins of University Of Missouri School of Journalism received the $1,000 Press Club Scholarship presented by the St. Louis Press Club to a student pursuing a career in communications.
Click Here for the Summer Courier
Press Club Welcomes Angie Minges to Board of Directors
Angie Minges
Angie Minges started her career working for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Organizing Committee in Venue Management/Logistics. After the 1996 Olympics, her next role took her to CBS Sports in New York to work on the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. Angie went on to work at Anheuser-Busch in the International Sports Marketing department on soccer sponsorships with properties such as FIFA World Cup, MLS, MLS Teams, US Soccer, English Premier League Team’s Manchester United and Chelsea. Her tenure at Anheuser-Busch included time in the Innovations department launching new brands as well as traditional brand management roles on brands such as Natural Light, Becks and LandShark Lager. After Anheuser-Busch InBev, Angie’s career took her to Pernod Ricard USA in New York City for a role in brand management working on Chivas Regal before returning to St. Louis to work at Nestle Purina in various departments such as the Global Strategic Business Unit and the Strategic Planning for Nestle Purina’s Zone AMS. She is currently the Director of Partnership Marketing at Nestle Purina.
Angie received her BA in Marketing & Communications at University Missouri – Columbia. She received her MBA from Washington University Olin School of Business. She also received a Women’s Leadership certificate from Washington University.
In her spare time, Angie serves as a member of Girl Scouts Women’s Leadership Network, a mentor for Stadia Ventures, a sports technology accelerator and is part of the St. Louis Forum. She previously served on the Board of the Missouri Athletic Club for 2019-2022, holding the office of President from 2021/22.
“We are most delighted to have the impressive talent and strategic expertise that Angie brings to the Board and look forward to her creative leadership," said Joan Lee Berkman, President, of St. Louis Press Club.
St. Louis Press Club appoints new board member
by Joe Holleman
Angie Minges, a marketing director at Nestlé Purina, has been named to the board of directors of the St. Louis Press Club. In her career, Minges has worked at CBS Sports on several Olympic games and in Anheuser-Busch's international sports... Read more
www.stltoday.com
Click Here for the Spring Courier
It is with a heavy heart that we share our dear friend and colleague, Alice Handelman, a past President of St. Louis Press Club, passed after a courageous battle with leukemia. Alice was a talented, accomplished journalist whose ongoing oversight, energy and watchful eye over Press Club's expansive program of work will be greatly missed.
All of us who were fortunate to know Alice will miss her and will do our best to carry on her special mission of inspiring students to pursue a career in journalism. Below is her obituary:
Alice S. Handelman adored mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to many passed away Monday, May 16, 2022 after a brave battle with leukemia. She was 79.
An award-winning writer and photographer, Alice’s passion for journalism began when she was a teenager, writing and editing for the West Miami Junior High Star and the Miami High News. She was later a reporter for the University of Missouri’s Maneater student newspaper. In that capacity, she met the love of her life, Howard Handelman, when she interviewed him for an exposé about men’s senior honors societies. The two were happily married for 55 years, and she missed him terribly after he died on October 14, 2020.
Alice and her sister Arlene were raised in Miami, the daughters of Ned (z’’l) and Margaret (z’’l) Samuels. A journalism degree at Mizzou was intended to be Alice’s ticket out of modest means. She never forgot the scholarship that made that degree possible, and later devoted much time raising awareness and funding for student journalism scholarships.
Discouraged from pursuing a professional career, Alice turned down a job at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after college, but she quickly discovered that freelance writing would allow her to balance the expectations of domestic life — and raising three daughters — with her career ambitions. Six decades as a journalist gave her opportunities to interview professional athletes, performers, composers and hometown heroes. In the 70s, she wrote feature stories for St. Louis Blues Goal Magazine and taught a class for women at Meramec Community College called “How to Understand Hockey.” She also hosted “Alice In Hockeyland,” a news show on KPLR-TV that featured interviews with St. Louis Blues players and their wives.
In 1981, Alice became Director of Community Relations for Jewish Center for Aged, a position she held until 2000. While there, she procured donations of original art for the nursing home. Today, the sizable collection decorates the walls of Covent Place. She was honored by Jewish Federation of St. Louis with the Fred A. Goldstein Professional Leadership Award for excelling in her field.
Upon her retirement, she remained devoted to advocating for older adults, and served as president of the Mid-east Area Agency on Aging (now the Aging Ahead Foundation). She also continued writing as a columnist for The Ladue News, and remained actively involved on many non-profit boards: St. Louis Press Club (past president), Women of Achievement (past president), Aging Ahead Foundation (past president), St. Louis Jewish Light (vice president), Craft Alliance and Women’s Society of Washington University. She is a past board member of Women’s Philanthropy of Jewish Federation, and a life member of National Council of Jewish Women and the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Auxiliary. Her passion for the causes, people and institutions she believed in was genuine, and she served in an outreach and publicity role for each organization.
Those who knew her will always remember her love of flowers and her uncanny ability to revive wilting orchids. She also enjoyed traveling (and writing feature stories about her travels), playing bridge, collecting art glass and — most of all — spoiling her four grandchildren. She had many friends from every chapter of her life, and cherished each of them.
Alice is survived by three daughters Karen Handelman (Marc Hirshman) and Patty Bloom (Jonathan) of St. Louis, and Marjorie Handelman of New York; grandchildren Rebecca and Matthew Bloom, and Abby and Emily Hirshman; sister Arlene Sackman of California; siblings-in-law Neil and Natalie Handelman, and Gary Handelman (Ronni z’’l), and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral service Thursday, May 19 at 1 p.m. at Congregation Temple Israel, #1 Rabbi Alvan D. Rubin Drive (Ladue at Spoede Roads), 63141. The service will be available via live-stream. Visit www.bergermemorialchapel.com for details. Private family internment.
St. Louis Press Club is excited to announce
The Alice Handelman Scholarship Fund
for Feature Writing
Alice Handelman is one of Press Club’s most valued members and a past president of Press Club. She is an award- winning writer and photographer and began her illustrious career in the 7th grade where she was the editor of the school newspaper at West Miami Junior High School. She graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has held a number of journalistic positions including 18 years as the community relations director for the Jewish Center for the Aged, a feature writer for the ice hockey blues and now for the Ladue News. Her impressive list of awards and community involvement have benefited so many in the St. Louis region.
We are announcing a new scholarship in her honor – The Alice Handelman Scholarship Fund for Feature Writing. And, thanks to a generous $18,000 grant by Michael Staenberg, $3,600 will be donated annually for the next five years to her Scholarship Fund. Our sincerest thanks, respect and admiration, Alice, for your remarkable contributions over the years to Press Club and the St. Louis journalism community. Also, our sincere thanks and ongoing appreciation to Michael Staenberg for his incredible support of Press Club.
STL Jewish Light: New journalism award to honor Alice Handelman
BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN , EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
December 29, 2021
I’ve known Alice Handelman about 25 years, though in the beginning, as an editor, I used to run the other way when I saw her coming. That’s because Alice is like a dog with a bone about the causes for which she is passionate. Click here to read more.
St. Louis Cardinals & St. Louis Press Club
Announce New Mike Shannon Scholarship Fund
Annual Scholarship Honoring Legendary Cardinals Hall of Fame Broadcaster
Open to Full-Time Students Pursuing Career in Sports Broadcasting/Writing
The St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Press Club announce the creation of The Mike Shannon Scholarship for Sports Broadcast Journalism. The $5,000 scholarship will be awarded annually, beginning this year, to a full-time student pursuing or intending to pursue a degree leading to a career in sports journalism, with preference given to students from the St. Louis bi-state metropolitan area.
“I am grateful to the St. Louis Press Club and the Cardinals organization for creating a scholarship fund in my name for aspiring sports journalism students,” said Cardinals Hall of Famer Mike Shannon. “St. Louis has a rich history of producing some of the most talented sports writers and broadcasters in the industry and I look forward to helping the next wave of men and women pursue their dreams of a career in sports journalism.”
A panel of judges from the St. Louis Press Club and members of the Shannon family will select the scholarship recipient based on aptitude, interest in pursuing a sports journalism career, academic standing, and financial need.
Applications for the Mike Shannon Scholarship Fund are being accepted now through May 1. A recipient will be announced on June 1. Interested students can learn more about the scholarship application requirements at stlpressclub.org/scholarships.html.
Press Club of St. Louis Announces Winners of First Writing Contest
From budding high school journalists to seasoned, veteran members of the news media, the winners of the St. Louis Press Club’s inaugural writing contest showcase the depth and expanse of the current state of writing in the area. Press Club received fifty entries for its inaugural contest.
“St. Louis has a rich legacy of literary leaders and journalists whose work has transformed the craft of writing,” Joan Lee Berkman, president of the St. Louis Press Club, said. “From Mark Twain, Eugene Field and William Burroughs to Joseph Pulitzer, Maya Angelou and Tennessee Williams, St. Louis has witnessed an unparalleled parade of writers whose influence continues to this day. Our contest is meant to honor not only their legacies but also those of today’s writers who are forging their own paths, in both traditional as well as new media.”
“In this spirit, we are honored to award the winners of our first writing contest. Their entries reflect the critical issues facing us today as well as the everyday stories that color our lives. We congratulate the winners and we’re proud to be able to recognize their achievements.”
Parkway West Pathfinder Staff, A series of articles detailing the impact of the pandemic on various aspects of their lives, including “The Low-Down on Low Staff”.
Winners will have the opportunity for a virtual “meet-and-greet” with an established pro.
“While we, as journalists, are supposed to be impartial and balanced in our writing, we cannot help but be impressed and even a little overwhelmed by the sheer quantity and quality of the writing that we reviewed for our contest,” Berkman said. “Thanks to everyone who entered our contest, it’s evident to us that St. Louis remains a home to a dynamic and vital community of writers.”
More information on the contest is available at STLPressClub.org.
Click Here for the Winter Courier
St. Louis Press Club recognizes members for their outstanding commitment
St. Louis Press Club closed out 2021 with a fun and festive virtual Annual Meeting where many of our members were recognized for their outstanding commitment to St. Louis Press Club. This year, five President’s Above-and-Beyond Awards were presented to Richard Gavatin, Jan Scott, Jessica Z. Brown, Betsy Taylor and Sarah Thompson. This award goes to an individual that has truly gone above and beyond to provide a service or support for Press Club. Encore President’s Awards were presented to Miran Halen and Phyllis Langsdorf. The Press Club’s highest honor, The Catfish Award was given to Claudia Burris.
Press Club awards highest honor to Claudia Burris
By Joe Holleman
Jan 10, 2022
The St. Louis Press Club wrapped up its 2021 activities with year-end honors - which included awarding the club's top honor to Claudia Burris. Burris was the recipient of the group's "Catfish" award, which recognizes exceptional contributions to...Read more www.stltoday.com
Our President’s Message
Dear Press Club Members and Friends,
We are extremely grateful for your ongoing support. Your membership and donations truly make a difference to our mission to raise awareness and funding for student journalism scholarships and enterprise grants to working, independent journalists to spotlight marginalized stories in our region. And, a special thank you to everyone who donated to the Press Club’s Year End Giving campaign which raised $13,586.
Press Club closed out 2021 with a fun and festive virtual Annual Meeting. A number of Board members were recognized for their outstanding commitment to St. Louis Press Club. This year, five President’s Above-and-Beyond Awards were presented to Richard Gavatin, Jan Scott, Jessica Z. Brown, Betsy Taylor and Sarah Thompson. This award goes to an individual who has truly gone above and beyond to provide a service or support for Press Club. Encore President’s Awards were presented to Miran Halen and Phyllis Langsdorf. The Press Club’s highest honor, The Catfish Award was given to Claudia Burris.
At the annual meeting, we also announced the Alice Handelman Scholarship Fund for Feature Writing. Thanks to a generous $18,000 grant by Michael Staenberg, $3,600 will be donated annually for the next five years to her Scholarship Fund. And, thanks to the many others who have also made donations to her scholarship fund -- a link to donate is available on our website.
2022 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Press Club. We will be hosting an in-person Media Persons of the Year Gala. This year’s honorees include.... Elliott Davis, FOX2, Joe Holleman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Debbie Monterrey, KMOX, Wiley Price, St. Louis American, Kay Quinn, KSDK Newschannel 5 and a group award to Nine PBS and its “Living St. Louis” team:Jim Kircherr, Anne-Marie Berger, Ruth Ezell, Kara Vaninger and Brooks Butler. Congratulations to each of these most-deserving journalists. We will celebrate their program of work at a gala later this year that will be co-chaired by Peggy Barnhart and yours truly.
Joan Lee Berkman
Thanks to the success of Beauty Buzz and other fundraising efforts and the leadership of board member Elisa Tomich, who chairs our enterprise grant committee, we now have funds available to award grants to working journalists. Please check the website on how to apply for a grant.
The winners of our inaugural Writing Contest for local writers will be announced at the end of January.
Our team leaders are working on programming to keep the spotlight on the essential issues of the day, as well as collaborating with media organizations to provide professional development activities to bolster journalistic skills to address the changing needs of the global communications profession and to offer social activities that build a vital media community.
In the meantime, thanks to the dedication and perseverance of our Club staff, board leadership and our members, who continue to prove the resiliency of the St. Louis Press Club. Please feel free to share our newsletter with colleagues and friends and encourage them to join us on our mission to ensure the future of quality media. Freedom of the press and reliable reporting are now, more than ever, critically important.
Again, thank you for your ongoing support,
Joan
A final toast and round of applause to our Beauty Buzz Chair Miran Halen and Co-Chair Phyllis Langsdorf.
Please enjoy the final highlights of this year’s event!
A Virtual Press Club Annual Meeting & Holiday Celebration 7 p.m., Thursday December 9
The St. Louis Press Club has announced its list of local news types who have been named as the 2021 "Media Persons of the Year."
The roster includes five individual honorees — two each from newspapers and television, and one from radio — and one group of broadcast journalists.
"Each of the honorees has made outstanding contributions to journalism and to the St. Louis community,” said club president Joan Berkman in a statement. “We are proud to announce such a distinguished group.”
In alphabetical order, the winners are:
Elliott Davis: A reporter and anchor at KTVI (Channel 2) since 1980, Davis is best-known for his government watchdog feature "You Paid For It.”
Elliott Davis of KTVI (Channel 2)
Joe Holleman: A Post-Dispatch staffer since 1989, he has reported on news and features and also has written the columns "Life Sherpa" and "Joe’s St. Louis."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Joe Holleman
Debbie Monterrey: A morning-show host at KMOX (1120 AM), Monterrey joined the station in 2003 and now anchors the news for "Total Information AM" at 5 a.m.
KMOX host Debbie Monterrey in 2017.
(Post-Dispatch photo) Cristina M. Fletes
Wiley Price: A longtime photographer best-known for his work at the St. Louis American, Price is a member of the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame.
St. Louis American photographer Wiley Price
Kay Quinn: For more than 32 years, Quinn has anchored and reported on most of the station's newscasts. Currently, she anchors the station's 4 p.m. newscast.
Kay Quinn KSDK (Channel 5)
Accolades also are being shared with the "Living St. Louis" team at KETC (Channel 9). the program began in 2004 has highlights various people, places and culture in STL.
The team includes Jim Kirchherr, executive producer, and Ruth Ezell, Anne-Marie Berger, Kara Vaninger and Brooke Butler.
A ceremony to award the honorees will be held — live and in-person, Berkman said — at the club's main fundraiser in spring, with more details to come.
St. Louis Press Club is happy to announce that Enterprise Journalism is back.
Thanks to the success of Beauty Buzz and other fundraising efforts, the Press Club has $5,500 in grant funds available to help finance journalism that’s relevant and impactful to the St. Louis area.
The St. Louis Press Club awards Enterprise Journalism grants to print, radio, television, and online journalists (including freelancers) to research and report on enterprise stories of interest to the St. Louis metropolitan region, with a particular focus on the issues and communities in our civic life that would not otherwise be reported. Awards of up to $2,500 will be given to journalists to cover travel and reporting expenses relating to a specific project of their choice for publication, broadcast, or online posting.
Trish Muyco-Tobin Named
Editor-in-Chief of Gazelle Magazine
Gazelle Media founder and publisher Cillah Hall has named award-winning journalist Trish Muyco-Tobin editor-in-chief of Gazelle Magazine. Most recently the magazine’s community editor, Muyco-Tobin has served as a news reporter, anchor, executive producer and editor for print and broadcast for more than 25 years.
Musicians 2-197’s Jan Scott sworn-in as delegate to the St. Louis Labor Council
MUSICIANS LOCCAL 2-197's Jan Scott (left) was sworn-in as a new delegate to the Greater St. Louis Labor Council Oct. 18 by Council President Pat White. - Labor Tribune photo Share this story:
St. Louis Press Club is announcing the inaugural writing contest for local writers. The awards will recognize the best writing for the past year among high schools, colleges and universities, and professionals.
“At its heart, the St. Louis Press Club is a membership association of writers,” said Joan Lee
Berkman, president of the St. Louis Press Club. "Our members represent all forms of media
found in the St. Louis region, and we all know that the heart of all media - print, broadcast, digital
- is writing. With these awards, we want to celebrate the craft of writing and to honor those
writers whose work represents the best in the profession in St. Louis.”
The awards will be open to writers in high school, colleges and universities and to professionals
who make their living by writing. Entries are eligible in five categories:
● News story -- -- Judges will consider planning and general organization of story, initiative in obtaining story, news writing, readability and impact.
● In-Depth Reporting -- The articles should demonstrate the ability of entrant(s) to provide treatment of an issue that has had an impact on publication’s coverage area.
● Feature Story -- Judges will review interest and unusual aspects of the feature material itself and/or the handling of it, writing style, readability and comprehensiveness of coverage.
● Commentary -- Judges will review submissions of up to THREE columns, essays, analyses, think pieces or personal experience stories. The format can include editorials, columns, videos and cartoons.
● A fifth category will cover original writing based on a theme. This year, we want to know what was the biggest impact on a writer’s life from the pandemic.
“We’re excited to have this opportunity to recognize the writers in St. Louis whose words help
influence and inspire their readers to achieve greater things and to better understand the world
in which they live,” Berkman said. “We hope that through these awards, we can help the winning
writers reach a greater audience who can enjoy and benefit from their craft.”
Judges for this first annual St. Louis Press Club Writing Contest will include some of the best
and the brightest journalists from the St. Louis market.
Finalists will be announced by December 1, 2021. Winners of each category will receive a prize of a virtual “meet and greet” with a well-known pro.
St. Louis Press Club's online initiative, featuring conversations with St. Louis-area professional communicators, continues.
Looking Back. Imagining the Future.
Communications colleagues speak with St. Louis Press Club board member, Jessica Z. Brown Billhymer,
on work and life during a pandemic, protests, economic stress and a community facing frank and varied discussions about racism.
In early 2020, it became clear to the St. Louis Press Club (STLPC) pivoting to a new way of connecting with community was a must, with the usual and varied local on-the-ground programming having to take on a new fa... READ MORE.
There are four takeaways from these conversations:
1. Media communicators are adept at pivoting to new solutions in the face of disruption.
2. Technology's role as a star and integral player, in our society and in the communications business, is dynamic and key to connecting all stakeholders, and is invaluable in facilitating collaborative team energy to meet deadlines and provide uninterrupted public service.
3. Media institutions and individuals seriously take safety of others as a primary concern during a pandemic and civil unrest.
4. Communicators reveal honest, inspirational feelings of wins, losses and amazement regarding their and colleagues' communications journey. And, we learn from these professionals what it takes to do their jobs in these times, and what it means to carry on, no matter what.
St. Louis Press Club's Our IN THE NOW with Lori Becker, Chief Operating Officer, Starkloff Disability Institute, and Dallas Adams, Communications Manager, August 18, 2020; running time: 43:51.
Becker and Adams detail what the Institute had to do to pivot to a virtual space to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the face of the pandemic. This meant continuing communications for both those with disabilities and the non disabled who partner with Starkloff in providing accommodations for the disabled. "We had to re-imagine what that looks like and step up....., " Adams said. Becker added: "For all of our programming ..we pivoted and turned into all virtual programming when the pandemic hit.
Suzanne Corbett Honored by Travel Journalists Association
Suzanne Corbett received the two Mark Twain Awards from the Midwest Travel Journalists Association, Inc. (MTJA) on October 20, during the organization’s 2021 Mark Twain Travel Journalist Awards ceremony held in Sanibel, Florida. Placing first place in the short copy for Catch the Louisiana Blues, written for AAA Southern Traveler, and third place in culinary for Patriotic Plates written for Gazelle Magazine.
The annual Mark Twain Travel Journalist Awards recognizes the best work done by MTJA members in 13 separate categories covering both traditional and new media. This year’s contest celebrates the work in the broad category of travel reporting published or broadcast from January 1, 2020-June 30, 2021. Additionally, each year, one of the professionals is honored as the “best of the best” and is named the “Mark Twain Travel Journalist of the Year.” All winners receive cash awards, certificates and well-deserved recognition for their work.
Claudia Burris featured in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Made in St. Louis: Retired teacher creates fun, colorful ...
The pottery Claudia Ruth Burris makes doesn't fit neatly into categories or styles. She riffs on forms, colors, glazes, themes and inspirations as surely as a bluegrass fiddler plays a soaring solo. Her curiosity in art and in life leads her to...
St. Louis Press Club's immediate past president, William Greenblatt,
will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for Sports Photography on November 14, 2021.
William Greenblatt
WILLIAM GREENBLATT MEDIA: Photographer Born: June 9, 1954; St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame Photographer (2009-Present), St. Louis Cardinals Photographer (2012-Present) (by Mike Knopfel) Capturing the raw emotion in your subjects ...
You're invited to the Urban League and Urban League Guild Salute to Women in Leadership Gala
where St. Louis Press Club's board member, Charlotte Ottley, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
St. Louis Press Club's President's Letter to the Editor:
Letter: Governor's threats endanger freedom of the press
Regarding the editorial "Parson attacks reporter who discovered teachers' personal data on state website" (Oct. 15): Amid all the recent accusations and threats by Gov. Mike Parson to punish the Post-Dispatch for revealing a significant security flaw in the state’s online database, the most disturbing element is the state’s underlying threat to the freedom of the press for the news media doing its job.
Publicly accusing the Post-Dispatch, let alone an individual reporter, of wrongdoing without definitive evidence is at the very least irresponsible. As St. Louis Society of Professional Journalists’ President Elizabeth Donald recently said: “Covering the state’s embarrassment with threats of prosecution is unworthy of a governor sworn to uphold the Constitution.”
These unwarranted accusations have received well-deserved negative nationwide attention directed at Parson. A follow-up story showed security for databases for Missouri's teachers, current and retired, badly needs updating. That should be the focus of the governor and the state's education officials.
Parson should not only publicly apologize for his remarks, he should also applaud the Post-Dispatch for its professionalism in sharing this information and helping protect those who were put at financial security risk.
Freedom of the press and reliable reporting are now, more than ever, critically important. If Missouri is truly the Show-Me State that cares about honest, in-depth reporting, show the Post-Dispatch the respect it deserves for presenting the facts to uphold the integrity of the state’s educational infrastructure and to protect our educators who are essential to our children’s future.
Joan Lee Berkman • St. Louis County
President, St. Louis Press Club and
the St. Louis Press Club Board of Directors
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Mike Parson lashed out at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday, two days after the newspaper informed the state of a data risk that left 100,000 Social Security numbers vulnerable to public disclosure.
Fifteen college and one high school student from our region are being awarded scholarships by the St. Louis Press Club and St. Louis Journalism Foundation.
The 2021 scholarships and their winners are:
$4,000 St. Louis Press Club/St. Louis Post-Dispatch David Lipman Journalism Scholarship - Max Baker, University of Missouri – Columbia
$2,500 St. Louis Press Club Ronald W. Wade Journalism Scholarship - Micah Barnes, Webster University
$2,000 St. Louis Press Club Neiman-Marcus Media Scholarship - Meghan Gunn, New York University
$1,500 St. Louis Press Club Sarah Bryan Miller Journalism Scholarship - Greta Cross, Missouri State University
$1,500 St. Louis Press Club Summer Internship Scholarship - Becca Newton, University of Missouri-Columbia
$1,500 St. Louis Press Club Summer Internship Scholarship - Mary Boser, Maryville University
$1,500 St. Louis Press Club Donald Burris Journalism Scholarship - Charlotte Renner, Webster University
$1,500 St. Louis Press Club Karlheinz and Doris Finzel Photojournalism Scholarship - Dasia Chavis, Webster University
$1,000 St. Louis Press Club Joe Bonwich Media Scholarship - Mark Burbridge, St. Louis University
$1,000 St. Louis Press Club Joan Foster Dames Women's Journalism and Media Studies Scholarship - Arielle Adams, Southeast Missouri State University
$1,000 St. Louis Press Club Spring Internship Scholarship - Tirzah Williams, Webster University
$1,500 FleishmanHillard Journalism Foundation Scholarship - Bethany Spitzmiller, Central Missouri State University
$1,000 Missouri Professional Communicators and St. Louis Press Club and Journalism Foundation Scholarship - Regan Mertz, University of Missouri-Columbia
$1,000 United Media Guild Journalism Foundation Scholarship - Ellen Killeen, University of Missouri-Columbia
$1,000 Times Newspapers and Webster University Journalism Foundation Scholarship - Jasmine Willis, Webster University
$1,000 St. Louis Press Club High School Journalism Scholarship - Abby Prywitch, Parkway Central High School to attend Indiana University
(selected by the Missouri Journalism Educators' Association)
Scholarship recipients are chosen based on aptitude, interest in pursuing a communications career, academic standing, and financial need. The awards are made in cooperation with the St. Louis Press Club, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Society of Professional Journalist, Missouri Professional Communicators, United Media Guild, Times Newspapers/Webster University, Fleishman-Hillard, and private donors.
Co-Chairs Miran Halen and Phyllis Langsdorf and Advisory Chair Alice Handelman knocked it out of the park!!
We raised more than $17,000 to fund student journalism scholarships and enterprise grants for working journalists to spotlight marginalized issues in our region.
Our IN THE NOW with Major Garrett
Chief Washington Correspondent, CBS News
Speaker: Major Garrett St. Louis Press Club's 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
When: 7pm, Thursday, May 6th, 2021
Garrett shared his analysis of the issues of our time and his thoughts on journalism and how the industry has changed in his lifetime. His remarks were followed by a Q&A curated by Charlie Brennan, the host of The Charlie Brennan Show with Amy Marxkors on KMOX and the Provocateur of Donnybrook on NinePBS.
In addition, Garrett was presented with the St. Louis Press Club's 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in journalism throughout his distinguished career in news broadcasting.
Donations support the Press Club’s ongoing scholarships and enterprise grants efforts — including offsetting costs of programs like this one. Click Here to donate.
