DPC Newsletter: #GivingTuesdayNow today; panel on COVID-19’s impact on oil and gas in Colorado; how freelancers can thrive now

TODAY IS #GivingTuesdayNow, a worldwide day of giving focused on responding to the unprecedented need caused by the novel coronavirus. It is taking place in addition to the regular #GivingTuesday day this year in December — after Black Friday.

If you are in a position right now to donate, we appreciate any support you can lend. We remain unsure when we’ll be able to offer outside rentals and event gatherings for non-members — an important revenue stream for supporting programming and our continuing operations. In addition, our construction on the new roof continues this summer, and we’re still short of the building match we need for the building fund by about $20,000. We also continue to raise money for our scholarship program.

Can you help us meet the need? Any amount helps, and you can choose where to direct the money: our building fund, programming, scholarships or general need. Your donation is 100 percent tax deductible because the Denver Press Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

SUNDAY WAS WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY, which was designated by the U.N. General Assembly in December 1993. It serves as a reminder to governments around the world to respect press freedom and is also, according to the U.N., “a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.

You can support press freedom locally in Colorado by donating to, subscribing to, or advertising in a local news source. The New York Times created a handy database to help find local news outlets in your area to support. Or you can donate and subscribe to outlets directly here — places where we draw many of our members from.

The Press Club remains closed, but we are discussing when and how to open once Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s order expires on May 8. We’ll share details with you once we have them.

Thanks as well to all of you who have stepped up already and renewed your membership with us over the last month. We know these are uncertain economic times, and your support makes a difference.

We also have two new events below that we’ll hold via Zoom: Exploring the impact of crashing oil prices in Colorado and how you can thrive as a freelancer during the coronavirus pandemic.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at president@denverpressclub.org or on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

WHAT DO CRASHING OIL PRICES MEAN FOR COLORADO? … The sharp decline in demand for oil and gas throughout the world as a result of the novel coronavirus has sent shockwaves through the industry global economies. Drilling has gone quiet throughout the U.S., bankruptcies are piling up, gas prices are at once-unthinkable lows, producers are scrambling to find places to store oil, and U.S. oil prices traded below zero for the first time ever in mid-April. What does it mean for the future of the industry in Colorado and the world.

Join us for an all-star journalist panel moderated by Denver Press Club president Daniel Petty on Thursday, May 7, 2020, at 6 p.m. MT, featuring Catherine Traywick, an editor for Bloomberg covering oil; Greg Avery, who covers energy for the Denver Business Journal; and Judith Kohler, who covers energy for the Denver Post. The session will be on Zoom. Register to attend the event here, which is free for members and $8 for non-members.

FREELANCING IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS … The emergence of the novel coronavirus has hit the news industry hard — journalists are being furloughed and laid off, and freelancers are facing frozen budgets and less work than they anticipated. If you’ve lost your full-time job, how can you get started as a freelancer? If you’re a freelancer who has lost clients, how can you adapt?

Join journalist Meena Thiruvengadam, a freelance writer, audience development consultant and journalism trainer whose work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal and Travel and Leisure, as she offers advice for freelancers during this challenging time.

“As a freelancer during the pandemic, I’ve felt more empowered and secure than I expected. But I’ve had to pivot,” she wrote recently for Poynter.

Join us for this webinar beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2020.

DAMON RUNYON UPDATES … Our event is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Denver Athletic Club, with the VIP reception from 5-6 p.m. at the Club. We are currently sold out for the event

We continue to monitor advisories from state, local and federal health officials to determine how best to proceed. We have a new event page on our website where we will be providing updates. We are grateful for all of our sponsors, all of whom have stuck by us as we navigate through this unprecedented time.

WE HAVE LAUNCHED a new emerging media/literary rate for journalists 30 years old and younger. The full-year rate is $100 for a full annual membership (a discount from the regular $150 per year media rate). We are also offering to allow these members to pay the emerging journalist rate monthly at $10 per month — or $120 per year.

We have offered this rate in the hopes of attracting more young members to our ranks, so if you know any who have not joined yet, please share this invitation with them.

I am also pleased to announce that we will be starting a new emerging journalist/student journalist sponsorship program. If you’re interested in sponsoring a student (or students) with a membership for $60 per year or an emerging journalist at $100 per year, please reach out to me at president@denverpressclub.org.

DONATE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP AT DENVER FOUNDATION … The John C. Ensslin Memorial Scholarship is given annually to the top Colorado college student who applies. You may donate to the scholarship through the Denver Foundation here.

You may also mail a check made out to The Denver Foundation with John C. Ensslin Memorial Fund in the memo line to:

The Denver Foundation
55 Madison St.
Suite 800
Denver, CO 80206

SUPPORT THE CLUB THROUGH AMAZON … You can support the Denver Press Club by purchasing goods through Amazon Smile. It comes at no cost to you (prices on items are the same). Amazon will donate to us a part of the purchase price for an item. Products eligible for donations will be marked as “eligible for AmazonSmile donation.” Simply go to smile.amazon.com, select our charitable organization — Denver Press Club — to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.

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Daniel Petty

Daniel Petty

Dan Petty is the president of the Denver Press Club. He has been a board member since 2016. He works as the digital director of audience development for MediaNews Group and previously worked as a digital news and sports editor at the Denver Post for seven years.
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