National Press Club membership survey draws record participation

A survey completed by 577 National Press Club members found that nine in 10 believed the Club had a good reputation in both Washington and nationally, saying that it is seen as prestigious.

More than nine in 10 said they were likely to renew their membership, with 72 percent saying they were “very likely.” They said that the Club performed best at what mattered most to them – providing access to newsmaking events and informal networking.

The survey was commissioned by President Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak and the Club’s Board of Governors to help develop a new five-year strategic plan under the direction of Vice President Mike Freedman. The plan is expected to be presented to the membership in October.

Members received two emails offering them a chance to take the online survey, which was produced by Hudson Pacific, a public affairs research and consulting firm. Access to the survey was also available on the Club’s home page and in several Wire stories. In addition, the firm conducted in-person focus groups with members of the Board and several past presidents and did a number of telephone interviews with members.

The survey found that women were less likely to find the Club welcoming and egalitarian. While most participants said they thought the Club should seek to attract more qualified members generally, women and non-whites were more likely to think the Club should actively seek diversity.

When forced to choose, members saw the Club’s primary function as a professional organization, as opposed to an event space, a private club or an advocacy organization. Building on the already high-quality events and providing additional opportunities to interact with other journalists are likely to increase member engagement, the survey said.

Members overwhelmingly saw the Club as well positioned to advocate for journalists and press freedom. More than half of the members said they believed the Club was spending the right amount of time on advocacy while another 41 percent said it should spend more time.

When it came to press freedom, members’ top priority was restoring trust in the journalism profession. They said the Club should do more to promote itself to give it a more prominent advocacy voice.

Other priority areas members would like to see addressed are:

--Improving a sense of community.

--Creating more avenues for members to advance their journalism careers.

--Staying up with industry trends.

--Helping members develop or strengthen their skills.

Members were evenly split as to whether they saw the Club’s reputation rising or falling. Many of those who said it was declining linked that to the overall declining influence of the news business. Younger members said they believed the event space needed to be improved to keep the Club competitive with other organizations.