Annual SPJ LA's Dinner Awards Event features
Social Media and Branding Guru
Sasha Strauss, a social media and branding expert, will be the keynote speaker at the 35th annual awards banquet on April 7, presented by the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He will be speaking on the profound impact social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, are having on the news business today.
Strauss, managing director at Innovation Protocol, a brand strategy consulting firm, has presented forums throughout East Asia, Europe and North America. He has been interviewed by National Public Radio, KNX/CBS Radio and The Wall Street Journal about branding everything from presidential candidates to innovate start-ups and Fortune 500s. Strauss is also an adjunct professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication, where he teaches graduate brand strategy.
Five local journalists will be honored at the event, which will be held at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles. The Distinguished Journalist honorees are Ralph Vartabedian, national correspondent at the Los Angeles Times; Dennis Anderson, editor, Antelope Valley Press; Conan Nolan, political reporter for NBC4 Los Angeles and host of “News Conference,” and Larry Mantle, host of “Larry Mantle’s AirTalk” on 89.3 KPCC, Southern California Public Radio. Robert Scheer, columnist and editor-in-chief of the current events website, Truthdig.com, is the recipient of the chapter’s Distinguished Work in New Media Award.
Tickets are $80 for members, $90 for non-members; tables of 10 are $800. To make a reservation, contact Roberta Wax at(818) 718-8184or spjbanquet@gmail.com. The reservation deadline isApril 1.
Denise Dador, health specialist at ABC7 Eyewitness News, will be the master of ceremonies at the event.
The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to promoting high standards of ethical behavior and encouraging the free practice of journalism. Founded in 1909 asSigma Delta Chi, SPJ works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.
Proceeds from the dinner and silent auction help fund L.A. Chapter activities, including scholarships.
MAYO PR - "We don't guarantee media, we just get it!"http://spjla.org/
Hollywood, CA - Actress Alexis Rhee will be featured as a supporting actress in two powerful upcoming short films.
The Choi FamilyMaurice Kanbar Institute of Film Television and New Media Festival Shorts, Saturday, April 2, 2011 Cantor Film Center, Theater 200, 36 East 8th street, New York, New York 10003
Rhee’s character is Mrs. Choi (mother of the boy who massacred the Virginia Tech students and the professors a few years ago, which was in the news).
” This story is about the aftermath of this massacre and the views of each of his family,” said Rhee, “and I’m sure a lot of people remember this story. They flew me to Virgina last year and shot this within a week. I had to go through a lot of of soul searching to do this role.”
Another gripping drama premiering at the Korean Film Festival in New York is DEFACE
Deface also boasts a notable supporting cast, including Alexis Rhee (whose credits include Blade Runner’s“Billboard Geisha”) as Sooyoung’s fellow slave (that is the right term), Jeung-un by Joe Bendel.
MATA LEAO – The LION KILLER is a film right out of today’s headlines:
After losing their home in the housing and economy crash of 2008, a young married couple is forced to move in the wife’s parents. Once a promising, budding architect now jobless, the young husband must find a way to secure an income. His identity as “a man”, their relationship, and the future of the parent’s home hang in the balance.
Beverly Hills, CA-“I’m thrilled thatFilm DirectorSam Schectman and the cast and crew for winning the Beverly Hills Shorts Jury Award for ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Comedy’,” said Actress Alexis Rhee, who was in the short film “The Agency” and premiere this week in Beverly Hills. “The Agency” – Tommy Cho, a twenty-something slacker who still lives with his parents, gets a job at an elite, cutting-edge company offering a facial-scanning technology that reports the exact number of times any woman has ever been pictured during various activities. As Tommy explores this mysterious tech, he comes closer than ever to connecting with his childhood crush. But his new-found ambition also unwittingly reverses his chronic failure with the ladies, unleashing a woman from his past who would like to prove to him that his wildest fantasies can come true.
Actress Alexis Rhee, who won aSAG Awardfor “Outstanding Performance by a Cast Member” for her work in theOscar winningblockbusterCrash (2004)movie, has just finished shooting the trailer for ‘MATA LEAO: The Lion Killer which will be made into a full length feature film in the next few months. Rhee also plays her arranged violin piece for the trailer. “It’s so exciting to portray such an interesting woman and get to play my violin in it.” she said, and “I have so much passion for acting, playing violin, writing and all things that are creative.”
Actress Alexis Rhee has a new film called,“White T.”Rhee plays a 1920s factory worker, who completes the first white T shirt ever made. Eric Roberts andSnoop Dogg are among the cast members.
MATA LEAO – The LION KILLER is a film right out of today’s headlines:
After losing their home in the housing and economy crash of 2008, a young married couple is forced to move in the wife’s parents. Once a promising, budding architect now jobless, the young husband must find a way to secure an income. His identity as “a man”, their relationship, and the future of the parent’s home hang in the balance.
The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists invites you to hear the Majority Policy Leader of the California State Assembly and chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, Mike Feuer, discuss his current bill to open dependency court proceedings. Additionally, Feuer will also talk about unsealing records to improve public awareness and accountability in governmental efforts to protect children from abuse and neglect, along with other issues, in an informal setting with ample opportunity for questions and one-on-one chats.
WHAT:
SPJ/LA invites you to a March 17 mixer and light dinner buffet
WHO:
Majority Policy Leader of the California State Assembly and chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, Mike Feuer
Validated valet parking will be available for $6.50 as well as parking for $5 in the lot in adjoining building. Limited street parking is also available.
For more information about SPJ/LA, visit www.spjla.org
The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to promoting high standards of ethical behavior and encouraging the free practice of journalism. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. The Greater Los Angeles professional chapter celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009.
Actress Alexis Rhee (right) attending
Beverly Hills Breast Cancer Awareness event.
The Actress, who won a SAG Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Cast Member” for her work in the movie CRASH (2004) has just been cast in MATA LEAO - THE LION KILLER
Santa Barbara, CA - One of the hardest stories to write about is the death of a dear friend, who was also my fishing buddy.
I received several calls on the morning of Friday, Feb. 04, 2011 from the media, first KNX, then KNBC-TV then LABJ, and many others asking me to confirm the death of Lee Harrington, past president and CEO of LAEDC, the executive director of Southern California Leadership Council (SCLC).
This was the second time in nearly two months that I lost a friend and past client at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Council and was asked to confirm a death of a close friend and long time economic development client.
First, Chief Economist Jack Kyser, formerly chief economist at LAEDC in December, and now Lee K. Harrington, executive director of SCLC.
Harrington was past President and CEO of LAEDC for some two decades. We had the pleasure of knowing him the last 10 years. I even remember interviewing him when I was a radio news reporter in Los Angeles.
The LAEDC not only came up with hard numbers, and the economic impact, but SoCal was going through new redistricting, so the news and economic impacts were shocking even to the Congressmen of those districts when it hit the media. The story was published in every literally every newspaper in the country. Bottom line, LAEDC discovered there was a $5 billion economic impact to the country, $2 billion to California alone. Even the state of Maine suffered $2 million in loses. It virutally put the busiest ports in the country and LAEDC on the global map.
Later, two weeks before President Bush announced we were going to War in Iraq, the three musketeers called me again, and Lee, Jack and Wally were very excited about the "2004-2005 Economic Forecast."
I told them the media only wants to hear about the "War." Then after brainstorming with all three, I asked Jack, Lee and Wally, if "LAEDC has ever done the economic impact of going to war?" Jack Kyser piped up immediately saying, "No." Then I asked, "Could you come up with an economic impact of California going to war?" They all said "YES." First 'Economic Warcast' - Los Angeles CountyEconomicDevelopment (LAEDC)
Lee Harrington, executive director S.C.L.C (LAEDC)
The last time I went fishing in the Pacific Ocean overnight with Lee Harrington, who was like me, crazy about fishing, was last year.
We were anchored in the deep Channel Island canal area along with several yachts, several large sailing boats and a tug boat. At 4:00 A.M. I awoke from a bench in the kitchen to crashing pots and pans with loud splashing noises against the boat and alerted Skipper Lee Harrington, who was sleeping in the bow and two other friends who were sleeping in the stern. It was a close call, and God must have been watching over us as we had nearlyhit several large ships and the tug boat.
But like a crazy fishermen I am, every time I had talked to Lee, I asked when are going fishing again? He replied, "soon, as the tuna fish are biting again."
He loved to rub it in when fish were biting bigtime, and I couldn't get away to go fishing. Lee was also crazy about surfing,too. Something about being close to, on top off or in the ocean, like surfing and fishing relaxes the soul. He probably didn't know that it was his last surfing trip, and his passion took him early in life, but as most of his friends would say, "at least he died doing what he loved most."
The media, friends,his family and I will sincerely miss Lee Harrington, my friend, my fishing buddy and client, may he rest in peace, and God bless his surviving family. The LAEDC has also set up a memorial at the California Club from 1- 3pm, March 2, 2011. Below are images of the Paddle Out and first memorial held
on Hollister Ranch in Santa Barbara County.
