Forty years as a Presswoman!
One Member’s Perspective
By Silvia Sheafer
In 1950, a group of women—newspaper and magazine journalists, columnists, editors, and journalism teachers—got together in Los Angeles, California. Their purpose: to help each other with their writing careers, discuss and share journalism trends, savor the achievements of prominent media women, and reward members annually for their creative and published works.
The all-woman organization was so successful that it was incorporated in 1962 as California Press Women and became an affiliate of National Federation of Press Women (NFPW).
More professional women journalists, eyeing the rewards of membership, were eager to become members, too. Thus in 1963, activities expanded into Orange County. California. That’s when I joined CPW.
To better understand the premise and successes attributed to membership, let me tell you about several encounters I attribute to “press women” – sadly, rather an archaic expression, but we old-timers are proud to be called such.
During the 1960s, Presswomen were knee deep in news that made history. For example, tragedy struck hard with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; tremendous losses of life in Vietnam established a weekly column, “Men in the Service;” the Civil Rights movement marched forward; the newly launched USD HHS program, Head Start, for three- and four-year-olds created national controversy as well as hometown news.
California Presswomen had a heads-up with the political career of Ronald Reagan, then the newly elected Governor of California. There were photo ops, travel and personal interviews with him as well as former President Richard Nixon. Members lunched and toured Nixon’s Orange County White House. In between these events were city council and school board meetings, brush fires, a helicopter crash, a small plane disaster, high school sports, and numerous hometown stories.
Our annual California Press Women events enjoyed a Hollywood culture as well. Speakers and award presenters included gossip columnists Rona Barrett and Adele Rogers St John. Aggie Underwood, crime editor of the Los Angeles Evening Herald & Express, gave scandalous accounts of city mayhem and murder. At an annual CPW awards dinner, movie stars Michael Ansara and Barbara Eden were the celebrity presenters.
Coverage of the O.J. Simpson murder trial made several members prominent authors of non-fiction books. On assignment, California presswomen journeyed to Russia and Europe, and, with their local and national reporting, they earned numerous honors and national recognition from their peers.
Journalism in a rugged mountain community in the 1980s enhanced my own CPW credentials as I reported on “good old boy crimes;” half a dozen murders – two perhaps conveniently unsolved; gold-panning knee-deep in the Merced River; and California Gold Rush adventures. Other members ventured into agricultural reporting, society and Hollywood gossip events we referred to as “soc’ news. Pencil and pad and a Yashica camera (in view natch!) were always an invitation.
When CPW membership began to decline in the 1990s, we split into two affiliates—Northern and Southern California. We changed our organization’s name to Southern California Media Professionals (SCMP) and allowed men to join. Has it helped? I am not really sure. They enjoy participation as winners in the annual SCMP and NFPW awards as much as we do.
For me and fellow card-carrying press women, reporters, photographers, and editors, our cup has runneth over. “We have reported the world. We’ve had it all.”
What an exciting, rewarding and knowledgeable profession for today’s young women and men who wish to report history in the making. Being a member of Southern California Media Professionals is their entre.
