Club President Andrea Edney says no point to journalism without investigative journalism

National Press Club President Andrea Edney told a Communicators' breakfast June 13 that her most important issues are objectivity and fairness in reporting, accuracy, freedom of the press and investigative journalism.

“Without investigative journalism, there’s no point to journalism,” said Edney.

Originally from a small town in Michigan, Edney spent 20 years living and working in Central Europe and speaks several languages. She has been a reporter for Bloomberg since 1997 and is now an editor.

She named business journalism as her passion. “I love the story that numbers tell, and I love digging into the story,” said Edney.

Edney, the Club’s 12th female president, commented that great strides have been made in the past decade, noting four female presidents between 2008 and 2017. She mentioned that last year’s president, Jeff Ballou, was the Club’s first male African-American president, following Sheila Cherry, a female African-American president in 2004.

Although Edney is currently on maternity leave from Bloomberg, she is a regular fixture at the Club, bringing her six-month old daughter to the office a couple of days a week.

Edney said the Club is “the place for communicators and journalists to come together.” She said the Club fosters this by having them serve together in key positions.

She called Club events, such as the monthly communicators breakfasts as well as others, a great opportunity to get to know one another.

“You can create personal relationships, and from that build a professional relationship,” Edney said.

She spoke at length about former Mexican journalist Emilio Gutierrez Soto, whose story has garnered national attention. Gutierrez and his son fled to the United States seeking asylum in 2008 when threats were made against him for stories he wrote about corruption in the Mexican military.

For nearly 10 years, he lived in New Mexico where he operated a food truck and reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for his mandatory check-ins. However, last December, Gutierrez and his son were arrested and threatened with deportation.

Edney talked about the campaign the Club has launched to have him released. His case is currently up for rehearing.

“I am hopeful for a positive outcome,” Edney said. “[Gutierrez] came to the U.S. legally and he is now locked up. This is an issue that is very important to me.”

The National Press Club Communicator Team hosts monthly professional development breakfasts for journalists and communicators. Breakfasts are free to Club members, $10 for guests. For more information about the Communicators Team, contact Co-Chair Andy Fisher at [email protected].