Please be sure to update your bookmarks to our new site at www.norcalspj.org

5:30 p.m., no-host bar
6:30 p.m., dinner

To purchase tickets to the event Click Here

Questions? Please contact spjnorcalfoi@gmail.com for additional information, including for information about purchasing a table and other sponsorship opportunities.

More than a dozen individuals and organizations will be honored for advancing freedom of information and the First Amendment when the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter (SPJ NorCal), holds its 25th Annual James Madison Awards Banquet on March 16 in San Francisco.

Mary Fricker, a renowned Bay Area investigative journalist whose work has most recently been showcased as part of the Chauncey Bailey Project, will be honored for a long list of accomplishments with the Norwin S. Yoffie Award for Career Achievement, named for one of the founders of SPJ NorCal’s Freedom of Information Committee.

Rachele Kanigel, an associate professor of journalism and advisor to Golden Gate Xpress publications at San Francisco State University, who has been highly involved in student press rights work nationally, will be honored with the Educator of the Year award, named for the late SPJ NorCal chapter president, Beverly Kees.

SF Public Press / McSweeney’s will be honored with a News Media award for its detailed report on cost overruns for the east span replacement of the Bay Bridge.

Reporters Sean Webby of the San Jose Mercury News and G.W. Schulz of the Center for Investigative Reporting, each of whom published hard-hitting investigative series exploring police misconduct and homeland security funding, respectively, are both winners of the Professional Journalist award.

State Senator Leland Yee will receive the Public Official award for his commitment to open government and for helping to craft legislation that protects professional journalists and journalism students.

Ann Brick, who served as staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) for 20 years until her recent retirement, will be honored for an impressive career marked by several high-profile First Amendment cases, such as the AT&T / National Security Agency wiretapping lawsuit filed in 2006.

Other honorees include Daniel Borenstein of the Contra Costa Times for his series of columns spotlighting public-employee pension spiking. Nonprofit Californians Aware is being recognized for its commitment to defending the public’s right to know, even after being hit with burdensome attorney’s fees when it tried to challenge a violation of state open-meeting laws. Reporters Phillip Reese of The Sacramento Bee and Thomas Peele and Daniel Willis of the Bay Area News Group will be honored with Computer Assisted Reporting awards for creating vast databases using public records that were tough to obtain. Melissa Nix will receive the Citizen Award for her hard work bringing to light police mishandling of the mysterious death of Hugues de la Plaza. And Rita Williams of KTVU-TV News will receive the Public Service award for fighting to establish a media room for broadcast news reporters in the San Francisco federal building .

We also are awarding a photojournalist, who, as a student at San Francisco State University, successfully invoked California’s shield law to fend off efforts by police to obtain photos he took at the scene of a murder. The student feared for his life after witnessing the murder and remains anonymous.

The James Madison Freedom of Information Awards is named for the creative force behind the First Amendment and honors local journalists, organizations, public officials and private citizens who have fought for freedom of speech, press, and peaceable assembly, and for public access to government meetings and records and have promoted the public’s right to know. Award winners are selected by SPJ NorCal’s Freedom of Information Committee.

Read more about the awards in the press release.

A CALL FOR SPONSORS

25th Annual James Madison
Freedom of Information Awards

The Freedom of Information Committee is a volunteer arm of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Northern California chapter. Each year, the committee hosts the James Madison Freedom of Information Awards to honor those who have fought to advance the public’s right to know. The FOI Committee is pleased to offer the following hosting and sponsorship opportunities for the 2010 Madison Awards dinner to be held March 16, 2010 at New Delhi Restaurant. Each host will be recognized by the emcees and on printed materials distributed with the event programs. Any of these hosting opportunities may be combined.

• Wine and Beverage Service Host – $2000. Be the most popular attendee in the room! Host the service of wine and non-alcoholic beverages during dinner service.
• First Round Host – $1000. The pre-dinner cocktail hour (5:30-6:30 PM) is a great chance to catch up with fellow FOI champions and otherwise shmooze. With your sponsorship, each attendee will receive a ticket redeemable for one drink at the bar.
• Dessert Host – $700. A tantalizing dessert will wrap up the delectable Indian dinner. Host the dessert service and the attendees will be forever grateful.
• Cocktail Appetizers Host – $500. Host the passed appetizer service during the cocktail hour. We can’t put your name on each samosa, but we’ll make sure everyone knows who to thank.
• Table Host — $1000 level. One table (ten seats) for your own use at the awards dinner. Larger table sizes may also be available.
• Table Host — $650 level. One table (ten seats) donated back for use by award recipients and their guests, as determined by the FOI Committee. Written materials at the event will acknowledge that X hosted award recipients and guests. Larger table sizes may also be available.
• Program Sponsor — $100. You will be duly noted as a proud supporter of SPJ Nor Cal and the FOI Committee.

The FOI Committee accepts sponsorships from individuals, media companies and other organizations whose activities are consistent with our own mission and do not present a real or apparent conflict of interest for our members. We do not accept sponsorships from organizations with no apparent interest in the public’s right to know.  The committee retains complete control over all aspects of the Madison Awards dinner and any printed materials distributed at the event. Sponsorship includes only those privileges clearly stated in this letter.  The committee also provides for full public disclosure of its funding sources. A copy of these guidelines will be provided to sponsors and prospective sponsors and anyone else who requests it. For more information, please contact the Committee at spjnorcalfoi@gmail.com.

These are tough times for journalists, and the NorCal SPJ board wants to do what it can to help.  Throughout 2010 local dues will be discounted by the chapter for all new and renewed memberships. We ask that you pay what you can on our sliding scale – starting at just $5.

Renew your national and local membership online at http://www.spj.org/join.asp, or contact Lizzy Tomei at lizzytomei@gmail.com for more information. Stay connected with colleagues and take advantage of our many events and workshops – join or renew today!

The sliding scale for chapter dues is in effect for all of 2010. When you renew or register online, simply enter the dollar amount you wish to pay into the chapter dues field.

The chapter’s good work relies on your support, so we ask that you give what you can at the following levels:

$5
$10
$15
$20
(or more)

Thank You,

Ricardo Sandoval Palos, President, SPJ-NorCal

And here’s a message from the national SPJ organization:

LAID-OFF? WE’LL WAIVE DUES

SPJ continues to offer its six-month dues waiver to current members who have been laid-off as a result of the economy and dramatic industry changes. To see if you qualify for the waiver, and to submit a request, please visit www.spj.org for instructions.

We hope you will consider this opportunity if applicable. We are so appreciative of your support, and we will continue to do all we can to support you.

———- 30 ———-

Meet the Editor of the Bay Area News Project

Jonathan Weber, the newly named editor of the Bay Area News Project, has said he intends to hire at least 15 journalists. Here’s a chance to find out what he may be looking for.

In a news release issued when his hiring was announced, Weber said: “Over the next few months my plan is to start building a stellar newsroom to cover Bay Area government and politics, the arts, business, entertainment, community news and other topics. We’ll also be working to develop a wide range of partnerships with other media organizations and individuals. Successful collaborations will be one of the keys to our success.”

This event is co-sponsored by the Norcal SPJ chapter.

Wednesday Feb. 24, 6:30-8 p.m.
World Affairs Council
312 Sutter St., Suite 200, Downtown S.F.

The World Affairs Council is on Sutter between Stockton and Kearny in downtown San Francisco. Park at the Sutter-Stockton Garage or take BART.

The event is free, but space is somewhat limited. Please RSVP to freelance@mediaworkers.org.

 ———- 30 ———-

The James Madison Freedom of Information Awards recognize Northern California organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of freedom of information and expression in the spirit of James Madison, the creative force

behind the First Amendment. The awards are presented at a ceremony in March during National Freedom of Information Week near the anniversary of Madison’s birth.  Eligible for nomination are Northern California journalists, citizens, media organizations, or community groups which, during 2009, have defended public access to meetings, public records, meetings or court proceedings or otherwise promoted the public’s right to know, publish and speak freely about issues of public concern.

Award Categories (awards may not be given in every category): Professional Journalist, Nonprofit Organization, Source/Whistle Blower, Career Achievement, Citizen, Public Official, Educator, Cartoonist, Legal Counsel, Student Journalist, Electronic Access, News Media.

• The Professional Journalist and Student Journalist awards recognize journalists who have been involved in fights for access to records, meetings or court proceedings, who have made exceptional use of public records in their reporting or who have promoted education on FOI issues through stories, editorials or other advocacy.
• The Public Official award is given to a governmental official who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to keeping public records or meetings public, or otherwise has taken exemplary leadership on FOI or First Amendment issues.
• The Beverly Kees Educator Award recognizes extraordinary efforts by educators to cultivate a devotion to the values of freedom of information.
  The Norwin S. Yoffie Career Achievement Award is named in honor of a stalwart supporter of the chapter’s Freedom of Information Committee, who died in November 2000 after many years of distinguished service to SPJ and the cause of freedom of information.

Submit a nomination

Deadline: Jan. 15, 2010

Questions: Please contact Mark Conrad or Rebecca Bowe at spjnorcalfoi@gmail.com.
Please include “James Madison Awards Question” in the subject line.

Join us for our November panel:

Thurs., Nov. 12
6 pm – 8 pm


Bloomberg/San Francisco bureau office

Pier 3, Suite 101

RSVPs by 3 pm Wed., Nov 11. This is mandatory, as we must have ALL attendee names and company info (or freelance) on a list for Bloomberg by end of day 11/11. If you do not RSVP by 3 pm, 11/11, you will not be allowed to attend the event!

Please RSVP to BayAreaAHCJ@gmail.com.

(Light refreshments will be served; this event is FREE this time; no charge to attend.)

EVENT 

Childhood Obesity: Strategies and Solutions from Bay Area Experts

Stories about food, nutrition, and the health impacts of eating are all over the media lately. The topic is especially significant for kids, who continue to tip the scales more than their peers even a decade ago and risk heading into adulthood with medical conditions that used to be for adults only. What can be done? Bay Area experts are doing some good work to solve this problem; our speakers are among this group, and share some insights and recent work that will inspire story ideas that will resonate with your readers and listeners:



Cam-Tu Tran, MD, is a pediatrician and director of San Francisco General Hospital’s Healthy Lifestyles Clinic, which treats overweight children and adolescents. Under her leadership, her staff has developed innovative ways to help their largely low-income patient population eat healthier and exercise.

Elaine Herscher is senior managing editor at Consumer Health Interactive, and coauthor of Generation Extra Large: Rescuing Our Children from the Epidemic of Obesity (Basic Books, 2005). Her multimedia project “Fat City, Fit City?” was a finalist in the 2009 International Medical and Media Awards

Daphne Miller, MD, has a family medical practice in San Francisco. She is the author of the best-selling nutrition travelogue, The Jungle Effect, (HarperCollins, 2008) for which she traveled the world in search of culinary traditions and recipes that would most benefit her patients.

Remember to RSVP at Bay.Area.AHCJ@gmail.com. See you on Nov. 12^th.

Colleen Paretty
Chair,

SF Bay Area Association of Healthcare Journalists

Laurie Udesky

board member, Sociey of Professional Journalists, Northern California chapter, member of AHCJ

———-  30  ———-

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009

6:30 pm-8:30 pm

Harney Science Center, Room 127

University of San Francisco

Hosted by Professor Dorothy Kidd, University of San Francisco Department of Media Studies.

With an Introduction by Ricardo Sandoval, President, Society for Professional Journalism (Northern California Chapter)

 Sponsored by:

 * The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter)

* University of San Francisco:

   Department of Media Studies, the Journalism Minor

   The Center for Latino Studies in the Americas (CELASA)

   Latin American Studies

   International Student and Scholar Services.

Franc Contreras: “Drug Violence in Mexico:  One foreign correspondent’s perspective.”

 For nearly 15 years, journalist Franc Contreras has been reporting on Mexico for major international news media organizations, covering virtually every major political and economic story that has taken place since 1996 –including two presidential elections, investigations on human rights abuses, immigration to and from Mexico, and Mexico’s so-called war on drugs. Franc’s reporting often delves deep into the social causes behind these important stories. He also has reported from most countries in Central America, Argentina, Colombia, Haiti and Venezuela.  Franc is currently a Mexico correspondent for Al Jazeera English Television.

Laura Villafuerte: “News coverage of Mexico’s drug war: a Mexican perspective.”

Laura Villafuerte began her journalism career in 1992 anchoring a daily cultural and social affairs program for the Mexican Radio Institute (IMER), a non-profit network heard across Mexico. She worked for several years as a news reporter and editor, and studied how the national news media helped the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) win the 1994 presidential elections. In 2000, she began editing online content for Televisa (esmas.com) and El Universal, two of Mexico’s best-known Web sites. She is currently the top content and design editor for cronica.com.mx, which the University of Monterrey recently named the user-friendliest Web site among several large-circulation Mexican newspapers.

All Davies Forum events are free and open to the public. For more information call: (415) 422-6147, email: daviesforum@usfca.edu, or visit www.usfca.edu/artsci/ug/davies_forum

———-  30 ———-

SPJ ANNOUNCES 2009 EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARD WINNERS

HOLLY KERNAN OF KALW PUBLIC RADIO GETS TOP AWARD 

Contact: Ricardo Sandoval, 916-321-1018 or 415-786-1258 

San Francisco, September 21, 2009 – The Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists recognizes Holly Kernan, news director of KALW, as Journalist of the Year in its 2009 Excellence in Journalism Awards. Kernan’s creativity and determination, prevailing in an undeniably challenging year, showed the potential for a strong future for journalism in Northern California.

Amid unprecedented layoffs of journalists throughout the region and continued shrinkage of many media outlets in Northern California, Kernan had the audacity and drive to expand KALW’s ambitious weekly newsmagazine, Crosscurrents, to a daily format, winning national attention and a devoted audience. Under Kernan’s guidance, Crosscurrents has stepped in — expanding as others recede —to provide essential coverage of local news and culture for Bay Area communities. Operating on a shoestring budget, Kernan leads a team of reporters in putting together a quality news program with a focus on covering underserved communities. This year, she launched two paid summer reporting fellowships where she teaches at Mills College and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.

This year, the SPJ-NorCal Board of Directors also recognizes the humanitarian contributions of board member Lani Silver, who passed away on January 28, 2009, by establishing the Silver Heart Award. Through oral history, radio and freelance writing, Silver dedicated her 40-year career to telling the stories of the oppressed and forgotten people of the world, notably tens of thousands of victims of the Holocaust. In the future, this award will honor others whose careers reflect an extraordinary dedication to giving voice to the voiceless.

Since its inception 24 years ago, SPJ’s Excellence in Journalism Awards competition has always sought to recognize those whose work reflects the organization’s ideals of integrity, initiative and achievement. The resilience of Bay Area journalism is also seen in the remarkable efforts of reporters, editors and news organizations in adapting to the changing media landscape. This year, to recognize the pioneers at the frontiers of journalism, SPJ-NorCal introduced two new awards — Innovation/Entrepreneurship and Blogs. And, to focus attention on an issue to which journalists have a special obligation this year, SPJ created a third new award for outstanding coverage of the economy. 

The Innovation/Entrepreneurship award goes to the Oakland Tribune’s InsideBayArea.com for its interactive news packages, which feature multiple platforms to organize breaking stories and provide interactive components that allow readers to select story aspects in whatever order they wish. The Blog award recipient is John Myers of KQED-FM for Capital Notes, his engaging and sophisticated blog on complex and important issues related to California politics and policy.

For outstanding coverage of The Economy, judges selected Charles Piller of the Sacramento Bee. Piller’s investigative series revealed who benefited the most from the federal bailout. In stories that involved months of analysis of thousands of public records, Piller uncovered critical and damning evidence to show how Warren Buffett, a champion for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), emerged as one of its top beneficiaries, as well as how TARP propped up local community banks with risky practices.

Although this remains a tumultuous time for the media, there is much good work being done this year, as demonstrated by the 23 other winners of SPJ’s Excellence in Journalism Awards. SPJ-NorCal again commends a group of media makers whose writings, images and enterprise, as well as investigative and innovative spirit, contributed to outstanding journalism in 2008-2009.

Winners of the 2009 SPJ Excellence in Journalism Awards covered topics ranging from climate change to bonded servitude in Nepal, from home foreclosure scams to San Francisco’s service animal laws. They came from a diverse mix of local and national media, including the San Jose Mercury News— which won four awards— the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, KQED, New America Media and MarketWatch.

Of exceptional note is the double award to Sean Webby of the San Jose Mercury News both in the Public Service and the Investigative Reporting (Print Daily) categories. Webby’s year-long series on public drunkenness arrests provided solid analysis of a sobering trend in San Jose policing—the apparently excessive numbers of arrests of Latinos. In a balanced and thorough report, Webby analyzed public records to draw comparisons with other major cities, illustrating a pattern of subjective enforcement of a vague and easily abused statute. As a result, San Jose adopted measures to change police arrest practices.

Veteran Bay Area journalist Susan Sward is the winner of the Career Achievement Award. During her 30 years at the San Francisco Chronicle, Sward covered nearly every beat. She also became one of the most prolific members of the paper’s investigative team. This year, Sward’s work prompted federal investigations when she reported that a chemical plant leaked toxic chemicals into the communities surrounding Searles Lake, causing widespread illness. Sward also lent her vision and energy to internal efforts to revamp the Chronicle’s coverage in the 1990s, and before her departure from the paper this year, she was heralded by the Chronicle staff for her dedication to promoting newsroom diversity and mentoring legions of young reporters.

Paul Kleyman, Ethnic Elders editor at New America Media, receives the Distinguished Service Award. Kleyman has dedicated much of his career to in-depth coverage of aging and the elderly. For more than 20 years, he served as the longtime editor of Aging Today, the newspaper of the American Society on Aging. He currently edits the Ethnic Elders beat for New America Media. A frequent speaker on the coverage of aging, Kleyman also founded and served as national coordinator for Journalists Exchange on Aging, an invaluable network of reporters covering aging and healthcare nationwide. The exchange, recently reorganized as the Journalists Network on Generations, delivers a weekly newsletter to 1,100 reporters nationwide.

The Unsung Hero Award goes to Geoff Link, publisher and editor of the Central City Extra, a monthly newspaper for the residents of San Francisco’s Tenderloin, Civic Center and Sixth Street Corridor neighborhoods. Through its community-oriented reporting and a dedication to providing nuanced coverage of a marginalized community, the paper publishes local news, human-interest profiles and obituaries with humanity, intimacy and candor. A full-time copy editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, Link also serves as executive director of the SF Study Center, which supports community groups through organizational development and publishing assistance.

The John Gothberg Award for meritorious service to SPJ-NorCal goes to Janet Mandelstam, a former board member and past co-chair of the Excellence in Journalism Awards. A highly respected freelance writer and former associate managing editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mandelstam made indelible contributions to the Excellence in Journalism Awards. She established a high standard for judges and judging, identified news themes in each year, and transformed the awards dinner into a dynamic event by incorporating honorary co-chairs and keynote speakers who addressed issues of timely journalistic interest. As layoffs began to quicken in frequency, Mandelstam was deeply committed to an SPJ project that sought to assess the impact of the loss of reporting and editing capacity in Northern California.

Winners will be honored at a 6 p.m. awards dinner on November 10, 2009 at Jillian’s restaurant in San Francisco.

Full List of Winners: 

Journalist of the Year: Holly Kernan, KALW Public Radio

Career Achievement: Susan Sward, formerly of the San Francisco Chronicle

Distinguished Service to Journalism: Paul Kleyman, New America Media

Unsung Hero: Geoff Link, Central City Extra

John Gothberg Award for Meritorious Service to SPJ: Janet Mandelstam, freelance writer

The Economy: Charles Piller, Sacramento Bee

Public Service:  Sean Webby, San Jose Mercury News   

Breaking News

-  Print (daily): The Oakland Tribune for reflecting a complex community with insight and accuracy through its coverage of the Oscar Grant shooting.

- Broadcast: Steven Short, KALW-FM, for his balanced coverage of the heated emotions following the Supreme Court ruling over the Proposition 8.

Explanatory Journalism

-  Print (daily): Nanette Asimov and Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, for “Eyes on the Prize: A Special Report,” which tracked the 1995-1996 graduates of a kindergarten class from San Francisco’s Bayview District to illustrate how minority students deal with challenging socioeconomic circumstances.

-  Print (non-daily): Joe Eskenazi, SF Weekly, for “Service With a Snarl,” which  examines, with clarity and humor, the laws around the use of service animals in San Francisco.

- Broadcast: Craig Miller and the Quest Production Staff, KQED Public Media, for “California at the Tipping Point,” which tells the story of California’s climate and water — past, present and future.

- Online: MarketWatch, for “The Spiral of Deflation,” a five-part, multimedia-enhanced series that uses easy-to-understand analogies and historical references to explain why people should be worried when prices go down.

Investigative Journalism

- Print (daily): Sean Webby, San Jose Mercury News, on San Jose’s public drunkenness arrests (double-winner in Public Service category).

- Print (non-daily): Kathleen Richards, East Bay Express, for “Yelp and the Business of Extortion 2.0,” a strong example of consumer-affairs reporting that resulted in the online review company’s pledge to change practices that had corrupted its independence.

- Broadcast: Sarah Varney, KQED-FM, for “Chemicals at Home—Unknown Substitutes,” which judges praised for embracing the medium of radio along with a subject matter that affects people profoundly. 

Feature Writing

- Print (daily): Meredith May, San Francisco Chronicle, for “Saving Nepal’s Indentured Girls,” a story that uses an inspiring local angle to illuminate the international human rights issue of kalmari, the Nepalese practice of bonded servitude.

-  Print (non-daily): Stacey Palevsky, The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, for “Spiritual Caregivers: Volunteers Provide a Ray of Light to People Nearing the End,” which illustrates the moving relationship between a Jewish spiritual caregiver and an elderly patient facing the end of her life.

-  Broadcast: Doug Sovern, KCBS Radio, for three thought-provoking reports, “Back to the Bayou,” “20 Seconds” and “Bye, Bye to the Republican Guy,” which demonstrate original and clever broadcast writing and a unique approach to mixing soundbites, music and commentary.

- Online: Sandip Roy of New America Media, for “Back to India,” a package that explored the challenges, discoveries and delights of Americans who have moved back to India.

Opinion 

- Andrew Lam, New America Media, for “Letter from Athens: Greek Tragedies and News Media in the Age of Twitter,” “Our Man Obama: The Post-Imperial Presidency” and “How McCain Became MacBeth,” the opinion pieces reflected a  unique ability to portray contemporary events in a rich context by drawing on history, literature and philosophy. 

Criticism

- Karen D’Souza, San Jose Mercury News, for “There Goes the ’hood: ‘Trailer Park’ is a Hoot,” “Mining Chekhov’s Regret,” and “The Rejection Connection,” three theater reviews that connect artists with audiences through creative storytelling and imaginative writing.

Blogs

- John Myers, KQED-FM, for Capital Notes Blog. From the state’s prison health care debacle to the budget crisis to fancy watches for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Myers keeps his readers and listeners well-informed. Among many impressive entries, Myers’ blog was a standout.

Innovation/Entrepreneurship

- Oakland Tribune, InsideBayArea.com, for employing the use of multiple platforms to organize on-going stories, along with truly interactive components that lets readers select which story aspects, and in what order, they wish to read, view or listen to. Judges found this series of increasingly improving interactive news packages organized around specific topics to be outstanding examples of emerging media.

Photojournalism

 - Dai Sugano, San Jose Mercury News, for his photo essay and multimedia project, “Left Behind in India’s Rise,” which documents lives of people who seldom appear in reports about India’s economic boom.

Outstanding Emerging Journalist

- Zoe Corneli, KALW Crosscurrents, for “Foreclosure Scams,” “Foreclosure Scams Follow-Up,” “Profile of Judge Larry Goodman” and “Alameda County Sheriff Ride-Along.”  This smart, aggressive series of stories on foreclosure scams that led to an investigation by the state Department of Real Estate.

Student Special Project

- Humboldt State University’s Investigative Reporting Class and The North Coast Journal, for “Meltdown,” a project that used public records and dozens of interviews to document the environmental hazards that led to the sudden closure of an ice plant vital to the local fishing industry.

-30-

Richard Henry Fogel, co-founder of San Francisco’s
Bay City News Service, died Wednesday in Thousand
Oaks. He was 86.
 
An advocate on issues relating to the public’s right
to access government information, Fogel worked
with other journalists and news organizations
across the country to craft the basic principles of
what would later become the landmark Freedom of
Information Act.
 
Fogel — regarded as a legend among San Francisco
Bay Area journalists — received the prestigious
Northern California Radio-Television News Directors
Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
 
Born April 29, 1923, in Santa Monica, Fogel was the
younger of two sons of Moe Miller Fogel and Syndie
Aileen Gardner Fogel. Fogel enrolled at Stanford
University in 1941 but deferred his education to
enlist in the U.S. Army after the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor. During World War II, he saw action in
Italy’s North Apennines and Po Valley campaigns,
where he served as a gunner on a 155 mm “Long
Tom” field gun in the 530th Field Artillery Battalion,
Fifth Army.  
 
After the war, Fogel returned to Stanford University,
where he served as night editor for the Stanford
Daily and interned as a reporter for the San
Francisco News. Fogel graduated with a bachelor’s
degree in journalism in 1947 and worked as a
correspondent and staff writer for United Press
International.
He moved to Oakland in 1948 and joined the
Oakland Tribune as a copy editor. He worked his
way up through the ranks over the next three
decades, ultimately serving as the paper’s executive
editor.
Along with his wife Marcia Schwalbe Fogel,
business partner Wayne Futak and associate Joann
Sutro, Fogel in 1978 launched Bay City News, a
regional wire service dedicated to local coverage of
news and events throughout the greater San
Francisco Bay Area.
BCN’s first big story was covering the
assassinations of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey
Milk and Mayor George Moscone.
For 30 years in his capacity as the wire service’s
owner and editor, Fogel mentored a new generation
of aspiring reporters, instilling in them the
journalistic ethical principles of truthfulness,
accuracy, fairness and objectivity. BCN continues to
play a role in providing balanced and accurate news
to Bay Area television, radio, and print media
outlets.
He received numerous awards for excellence in
journalism, including the James Madison Freedom of
Information Career Achievement Award, the Public
Service Award for Distinguished Reporting on the
Administration of Justice from the State Bar
Association of California, the Contra Costa Press
Club Award, and the Editor and Publisher Newspaper
Promotion Award.
Fogel is survived by his wife of 60 years, Marcia
 
Fogel; daughter Vicki Fogel Mykles; sons Richard
Henry Fogel, Jr. and Jonathan Miller Fogel; and
grandchildren Rebecca Morrison Fogel, Christopher
Kjell Mykles, and Andrew Morrison Fogel.
 
Memorial contributions may be made to the Richard
H. Fogel Memorial Fund for Excellence in Journalism
through Stanford University’s Office of Development,
Gift Processing, 326 Galvez St., Stanford, CA 94305-
6105 or giving.stanford. edu .
 
Services are pending.