National Press Club
529 14th St. NW
13th Floor
Washington, DC 20045
Can't make it to the show?
Donate $50 and we'll send you an official Journopalooza T-shirt in appreciation of your support.
Everyone knows reporters are a competitive breed. There's an apocryphal
story about Steve Dunleavy, formerly of the New York Post, getting his
tires slashed by a rival trying to beat him to a story. The
tire-slasher? Dunleavy's own father.
Trouble is, we don't have many ways to settle who's the best. Sure, the
profession doesn't suffer from a lack of awards. There's the Polk, the
Hillman, the NMA , the almighty Pulitzer. But that's precisely the
problem--much as with college football, the proliferation of awards
does not anoint a single undisputed champion. So we've decided to
figure this out following a long-held tradition of the Streets. With
a battle.
On January 9, prepare for an all-out musical assault at the National
Press Club. Four of D.C.'s best bands -- composed of journalists from
the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, McClatchy Newspapers, the
Washington Independent, Bloomberg News, among others -- will try to
claim for themselves the title of Best Reporter-Based Washington Rock
Group. Who will prevail? The bluesy thump of Nobody's Business? The New
Pornographers-esque power pop of Anchorage? The eclectic sounds of
Suspicious Package? The spare, dark indie rock of The Surge? Only the
first annual JOURNOPALOOZA will determine who wears the crown.
And just as the best journalism is that which serves the public good, JOURNOPALOOZA
is a rock festival with a charitable mission. All proceeds will benefit
two very worthy causes.
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an
advocacy organization that aids our colleagues in their efforts to
bring out the truth under the harshest of conditions. Half of the money
raised with Journopalooza will go to CPJ's Journalist Assistance Fund,
their emergency resource to save journalists who must go into hiding or
exile to escape threats; journalists in need of medicine and other
material support in prison; and journalists injured after violent
attacks. The other half of the proceeds will help fund the National
Press Club's efforts to hone the skills of the next generation of
newsgatherers with their array of training programs and scholarships.
In addition to an evening of competition-fueled music, JOURNOPALOOZA
has everything a journalist or rock-n-roller could want. An open buffet
of munchies. Limited edition JOURNOPALOOZA t-shirts designed by
Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Tom Toles of Suspicious Package (and the
Washington Post). And, of course, a bar. A cash bar, by necessity. Our
profession is in financial trouble. Trouble that can only be fixed by
rock n' roll.
Media inquiries contact christina@journopalooza.com