Julie Pedretti, President
While he may have retired as Chairman of Time Warner a number of years ago, 87-year-old Dick Munro is certainly not sitting around by the pool or playing golf every day.
At the annual Honor the Free Press lunch on March 14, Mr. Munro received the Peter A. Thomas award. Bill Barker, publisher of the Naples Daily News, introduced Mr. Munro, citing a long list of accomplishments and awards. In his remarks to an audience of more than 150 people, Mr. Munro said he proudly served in the military, and loved every minute of it. Since retiring, Mr. Munro has been actively involved in dozens of local nonprofits and organizations, many with a focus on education.
Press Club of Southwest Florida members were well represented at the luncheon, sponsored by the Marines, and again held at the Hilton Naples. The master of ceremonies for the program was Michael Trephan, leader of the Naples-based Honor the Free Press organization and a Press Club of Southwest Florida member. He has been instrumental in organizing a committee to plan this event each year.
In their remarks, Mr. Munro and Mr. Barker included strong, clear references to the value of the First Amendment in our lives today and for our country’s future, and discussed the important role journalists play in delivering news based on facts, with an emphasis on fair and unbiased reporting.
Personal Commentary, by Julie Pedretti
I am proud to represent the Press Club of Southwest Florida and its members today.
Since the late 1800s, press clubs have been forming in cities across the U.S. and around the world. Today, there are more than two dozen press clubs in the country, including Naples, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and, of course, Washington, DC, home of the National Press Club.
These press clubs share missions and goals, including an interest in promoting free press, providing scholarships to the next generation of journalists, and recognizing excellence in journalism.
They provide a place for journalists to gather, to network and to learn from one another.
The Press Club of Southwest Florida is committed to a free and independent press as an indispensable check on government power.
There has never been a time when the press was more necessary.
We stand for the truth and insist that the truth must win the day.
Nothing less than our democracy depends on it.
Thank you.