Longtime SPJ/LA member, AP court reporter Linda Deutsch dead at 80
The Society of Professional Journalists Los Angeles Chapter mourns the passing of journalist Linda Deutsch, a long time SPJ/LA member and special correspondent for The Associated Press, who died Sunday at her Los Angeles home from pancreatic cancer. She was 80.
Deutsch, considered one of America’s best trial reporters, worked for The AP for more than 50 years, covering some of the biggest criminal cases in the nation. According to the AP, her court career began with the 1969 trial and conviction of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin, Sirhan Sirhan. She went on to cover the trials of Charles Manson, O.J. Simpson, Patty Hearst, Phil Spector, the Menendez brothers, Richard Ramirez, Ted Kaczynski, Michael Jackson, and many others.
She was a trailblazing journalist who helped pave the way for many women in the industry.
"Linda was a staunch supporter of journalism and a proud and longtime member of the Society of Professional Journalists. She was among the first to be recognized as a Distinguished Journalist by the Los Angeles SPJ chapter in 1977 and graciously offered herself up to be roasted in 2015 to raise money for chapter programs,” said SPJ/LA board member Roberta Wax.
Deutsch was also roasted in 1998 at the National SPJ Convention to raise money for SPJ's Legal Defense Fund.
She was always generous with her time, whether it was speaking on a panel or a conference. When the Los Angeles chapter offered silent auctions to raise money for chapter programs and scholarships, she was the first to agree to be one of the “prizes.” "Lunch with Linda" was a sought-after item, as was a tour of famous Los Angeles crime scenes, where she regaled participants with her inside information about the trials and the people involved.
She also enjoyed talking to journalism students, who were often awestruck to be in her orbit and hear her amazing stories.
“Linda was kindhearted and always a joy to be around. I loved hearing stories from her career as she talked about each case with such excitement and knowledge. She wrote pieces of history and was an inspiration to many female journalists,” said SPJ/LA president Alexi Chidbachian.
