Dear Atlanta Press Club Members and Supporters:

Journalists are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. As we witness unprecedented changes in our world and daily lives, reporters are checking politicians’ facts, gathering crucial scientific data and shedding light on the tragic human side of the virus’s spread. While this is an uncertain season for us in Atlanta, in Georgia and across the globe, it is also a time to take stock of the things that matter most to us—our families, our faith, our friends, our neighborhoods, our livelihoods—and our mission.

The mission of the Atlanta Press Club is to serve the evolving needs of our media community, foster journalistic excellence and advance the public’s interest in an understanding of a free press. Journalism gives a voice to the voiceless, gives a platform to truth and holds people accountable for their actions and words. Journalism matters, now, more than ever.

The APC was established in 1964, and over the years has grown to become one of the largest and most active professional journalism associations in the country. Our Newsmaker Luncheon Series has received recognition nationwide with featured speakers such as journalists Tom Brokaw and Cokie Roberts, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, CNN president Jeff Zucker, former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and more. We are proud of the reporting, social interaction and networking that results from our events, workshops and mixers. Yet, for now, all of those gatherings are on-hold until the dangers of the pandemic pass, and we can return to the newsworthy programming you expect from the Atlanta Press Club.

In the coming weeks, while the United States is under strict guidelines from the CDC to limit groups of people meeting together, the Atlanta Press Club will focus its social media accounts and weekly newsletters on spotlighting the work of the tireless journalists who are covering all aspects of COVID-19’s impact on our region—from medical and educational to how the outbreak is affecting local businesses and the arts. We will also continue to promote the freedom of expression.

The APC values your membership and support. Small nonprofit organizations like ours could not do what we do without the help of our event attendees and corporate sponsors. We look forward to filling our calendar with events again in the near future. For today, we say “Thank you!”

Stay tuned for updates. Stay healthy.

With strength and compassion,

The Atlanta Press Club
Staff and Board of Directors