The Press Club Throws A Party!   (Pictured at Left: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Photo: Bobbi McKenna.)     The Los Angeles Press Club threw a party at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on June 24 to honor some of the most outstanding journalists in the business.  The press club showed itself to be firmly in the 21st Century with awards to News Websites, Online Columns, and Weblogs.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa kicked off the evening (running a little late from an earlier event) by contrasting himself with Larry King who (running a little late himself) had not yet arrived.   “Larry shortened his name from Zeiger to King, and I made my name longer.  I went from Villar to Villaraigosa.” (When he married Corina Raigosa in 1987, they combined their last names.)    The Mayor was all smiles as he left for his next event.  (The price of office, power, and fame is apparently constant motion.)

The President’s Award   (Pictured: Larry King. Photo: Bobbi McKenna.)   Larry King arrived with his beautiful wife Shawn Southwick to accept The President’s Award for Impact on Media.  I’ve always enjoyed King’s interviews because of the sometimes surprising information he draws from his guests.  It seems like I always learn something about the person he is interviewing that I didn’t know before.

It was the first time I’d met Larry King in person, and as is so often the case, he was quite different from his TV persona and much more impressive.  Instead of the very mellow, slow-talking, laid back host I had come to know, I met a very witty and intellectually nimble man who could talk as fast as anyone on TV.

(Pictured: Bobbi McKenna Holding Larry King's Award.)   As soon as he came to the stage area, I was amused to see King pick up his award from the table while he was being introduced and hold it up for the TV cameras and still photographers.  "I presented myself the award," King joked later.

King thanked the Press Club for the award and referred to an interview he’d done with Paul Newman.  “Paul said to me, ‘anyone who’s been as successful as you and I’ve been, who doesn’t say that luck was the major ingredient is a liar.’”    King seemed disappointed that the Mayor had already left for his next event, but admitted that he and wife Shawn were leaving the dinner to fly to Baltimore where Shawn, a very talented singer, was slated to sing the national anthem at an Oriole’s game on Sunday.    The Joseph M. Quinn Award   Dave Lopez, one of the most respected and beloved news reporters in Los Angeles, was there with his proud parents and wife, Elaine, to accept The Joseph M. Quinn Award for Journalistic Excellence.  Dave says (of a career in which he has interviewed history-makers like the Pope, Muhammad Ali, and Bill Clinton): “This isn’t work, this is fun.  It’s the greatest way to make a living.”

The Daniel Pearl Award   The Los Angeles Press Club established The Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism in honor of their son.   It seemed fitting that this year’s recipient, Kevin Sites, Yahoo’s “hot Zone” war correspondent was unable to accept the award in person because he was on assignment in a war zone in East Asia.  Kevin is an example of the war correspondents who risk their lives to bear witness to the violence that plagues our world.    The most moving part of the evening came when the parents of Daniel Pearl, Ruth and Judea Pearl, took to the podium.  Thoughtful, compassionate, showing no anger or desire for revenge, they demonstrated how it is possible to turn personal grief to public good.  They established The Daniel Pearl Foundation to provide scholarships, seminars, dialogue as a response to hatred and violence.  Now, they are proposing that the harming or killing of a journalist should be regarded as an international crime.    You can find out more about established The Daniel Pearl Foundation at www.danielpearl.org.

(Pictured: Bobbi McKenna and Diana Ljungaeus.)   In all, it was a great evening: educational, entertaining, and fun.    Press Club members and staff came together to throw a great party.

Beautiful Shivaune Christina of “E! & Style Networks” was on hand to help set up the silent auction, LA Press Club President Anthea Raymond, radio reporter and editor, Press Club Vice President Chris Woodyard of USA Today, Columnist Jill Stewart, and most noteworthy, the indefatigable and ever-cheerful Press Club Executive Director Diana Ljungaeus.  As the blond Ljungaeus walked through the dining room surveying the filled tables, she couldn’t stop smiling, and who could blame her?  Kudos Diana!   Read about all the award winners at www.lapressclub.org.   If you care about the news, and if you want to learn more about the journalists in your area, join your local Press Club.  Membership in The Los Angeles Press Club is open to all members of the community.    Contact LA Press Club Executive Director Diana Ljungaeus at 323-469-8180 or diana@lapressclub.org.

Giving You A Voice Internet Magazine is a division of MDS, LLC,