Statement from SPJ/LA’s President

Jan. 13, 2013

Contact info:

Alice Walton, President
Greater Los Angeles Chapter
Society of Professional Journalists
alicemwalton@gmail.com

LOS ANGELES — The board of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists announced today following a special meeting on Saturday that information had surfaced showing unauthorized withdrawals had been made from the chapter’s checking account.

Sarah Baisley, the chapter’s treasurer for many years, was removed from her position by the chapter president and ad hoc budget committee members after the unauthorized withdrawals were discovered following a review of chapter finances undertaken in the course of implementing SPJ/LA’s new finance policy, which adopted best practices recently recommended by the national organization.

SPJ/LA president Alice Walton said a preliminary review of chapter accounts revealed significant unauthorized withdrawals were made in 2010 and 2011, but emphasized that the full extent of potential losses was unknown at this time due to incomplete records.

Walton said SPJ/LA chapter board members have hired an attorney and will seek the services of a forensic accountant to compile as clear and complete a picture as possible of the extent of the unauthorized activity and the true state of the chapter’s finances. She said the withdrawals were discovered on the evening of Jan. 2, when a member of the ad hoc budget committee was reviewing the available records with the treasurer.

“Once we have a better accounting,” Walton said, “that information will be turned over to the proper law enforcement authorities without delay.”

Walton said the chapter was committed to an open and transparent accounting of the situation and to its ongoing efforts at putting safeguards in place to ensure that nothing similar could occur again in the future. She said that the day after the losses were first discovered, the financial institutions were contacted and measures taken to protect SPJ/LA assets.

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SPJ/LA Mourns the Loss of Veteran ABC7 Cameraman Artie Williams III

The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists mourns the loss of veteran ABC 7 cameraman Artie Williams III, who died over the weekend while diving off of Catalina Island.

Williams was described by his colleagues as a “real prince of a guy” with a huge heart.  He was known for providing a helping hand to other photographers, reporters and interns. His was always a friendly face to see out in the field.

“The journalism community in Los Angeles has lost a talented person who was a friend and mentor to many,” SPJ/LA President Alice Walton said . “SPJ/LA extends its condolences to Artie’s ABC7 colleagues and his family. He will be sorely missed.”

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Statement Regarding the L.A. Fire Department’s Disclosure Policy

The following letter was sent to fire Chief Brian Cummings today on behalf of the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles regarding the Los Angeles Fire Department’s policy to restrict the free flow of information:

Dear Chief Cummings:

This law office represents the Society of Professional Journalists – Greater Los Angeles Chapter (“SPJ/LA”) and the Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles (“PPAGLA”). I write on behalf of SPJ/LA and PPAGLA to express their shared concern with recent policy changes announced by the Los Angeles Fire Department (“LAFD”) that seriously threaten the newsgathering rights of journalists and photojournalists, and endanger the public’s right to know about the functioning of its government.

The LAFD’s new policy of refusing to disclose information to the media about basic response details – including times and locations of incidents and the nature of emergencies as well as the age and gender of victims – is a sharp departure from the previous practice of the LAFD. It contravenes a directive from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that the LAFD “immediately resume releasing information that provides LAFD incident specifics[.]” Letter, Hon. A. Villaraigosa to Chief Cummings, Mar. 21, 2012. The timing of the policy shift is highly suspicious in light of recent revelations about inaccuracies in the LAFD’s reported response times to emergency situations.

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