University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

MEDIA RELEASE

CSUN, Los Angeles Press Club Add Name of
Oakland Editor to Fallen Journalists Memorial Wall

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Nov. 7, 2007) — The name of Chauncey Bailey, who was gunned down while on his way to his job as editor of the Oakland Post, will be added to the Fallen Journalists Memorial Wall at Cal State Northridge during a special ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 15, at the university.

Bailey, whose death was linked to an investigative story he was writing for his newspaper, is the first African American to have his name on the wall, which lists California journalists who have died in pursuit of the news.

"The memorial’s intention is not only a tradition to honor our fallen journalist colleagues," said Coe Wilkins of the Los Angeles Press Club and co-founder of the memorial, "it’s also a way to strengthen the spirit and improve the integrity of the journalism industry."

The ceremony is scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. on the second floor of Manzanita Hall located near the southwest corner of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

The memorial was created in 1979 by the Los Angeles Press Club, a year after three California journalists were killed in an ambush in Jonestown, Guyana. The journalists named on the memorial represent newspapers, magazines, radio and television. They covered local, national and international news, war and rebellion, as well as civil disturbances.

Bailey was killed on Aug. 2, 2007, while walking to work after writing a story on a controversial family-owned bakery. A masked gunman shot Bailey, 57, execution style. A suspect was arrested who worked for the bakery. Bailey is the first journalist assassinated in this country since 1993.

Melissa Wall, interim chair of CSUN’s Department of Journalism, said the wall not only memorializes courageous journalists, but also serves as a learning tool for Northridge journalism students.

"The wall reminds us of the dangers for journalists even here at home," Wall said. "The journalism department is proud to have the memorial wall located in our school."

Speakers for the Nov. 15 ceremony include Wilkins, Bob Butler, president of the Bay Area Association of Black Journalists and regional director for the National Association of Black Journalists, and Gayle Pollard-Terry, past president of the Black Journalists of Southern California and a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Former journalist Cynthia Rawitch, CSUN’s associate vice president for undergraduate studies, will serve as mistress of ceremonies.

Journalists listed on the memorial include:

• Vincent Mahoney (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Frank Prist (ACME News Pictures)
• Tom Treanor (Los Angeles Times)
• Ken Inouye (International News Service)
• Earl Hazen (Los Angeles Mirror)
• Bill Hunter (Long Beach Press Telegram)
• Max Schumacher (KMPC)
• Ruben Salazar (KMEX and Los Angeles Times)
• Francis Gary Powers (KNBC)
• George Spears (KNBC)
• Don Harris (NBC News)
• Greg Robinson (San Francisco Examiner)
• Bob Brown (NBC News)
• Joe Alex Morris, Jr. (Los Angeles Times)
• Richard Cross (U.S. News and World Report)
• Dial Torgerson (Los Angeles Times)
• Phillip J. Klusman (Bakersfield Californian)
• Bruce Wayne (KFI)
• James Bertken (Daily News)
• Larry Green (KCBS)
• Mark Fineman (Los Angeles Times)

Founded in 1946, the Los Angeles Press Club is a service organization devoted to improving the spirit of journalism and journalists, while strengthening the integrity and improving the reputation of the industry. It also provides a support system for its members.

CSUN’s Department of Journalism is one of 110 journalism programs in the country accredited by the National Accrediting Council in Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. More than 700 undergraduate students and 40 graduate students are enrolled in sequences including print, broadcasting, photojournalism and Spanish-language media. The department is part of the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication.

California State University, Northridge has 35,200 full- and part-time students and offers 62 bachelor’s and 50 master’s degrees as well as 28 teaching credential programs. Founded in 1958, CSUN is among the largest single-campus universities in the nation and the only four-year public university in the San Fernando Valley. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.