Please Support the 8 Ball Emergency for Journalists

Helping Journalists In Need For More Than Half A Century

www.8BallJournalists.org

The News Geezers began in 2010 - when shortly after entering retirement, I realized while I might not miss my final full time workplace (KTTV Fox 11 where I was a Special Projects Producer), but I would miss the folks I worked with there - and so many of the professionals I encountered along the way since 1965.

Gathering three friends from my early years at KTLA - Joel Tator, the late Michael Conley and Jack Terry - the four of us decided our early enjoyable dinners and lunches should be expanded.

The late Gerry Ruben was next, bringing us to five. The mailing list grew from there and is now closing in on 500.

The News Geezers is totally informal with no dues, no office, and no officers. Credit for the News Geezers' name goes to the late, great Bob Long. Sure the name has had its detractors - mainly women who resent being called Geezers. Bob meant the name to be fun - reflecting the mood of our gatherings. We took a vote on this years ago - and about 95% of those participating that day voted for... News Geezers.

About two-thirds of us are retired. If you are working in the biz - or spent the bulk of your professional life in Southern California - in print (newspapers and magazines), broadcast (radio and TV news), web or public relations - we welcome you! Photojournalists are - of course - included as are the technical people who transformed our news output into print or onto the airwaves. You can see who is involved by going to the "Roster & RSVPs" tab on this website.

For many years, we had lunches quarterly. We reduced that to three times in 2023... and two in 2024. We've held two in 2025.

So that's our story. I thank each of you for having made this work for 15 years.

Thanks for reading this!

Cheers, Bob

About...

A message from Bob Tarlau

(co-founder of the News Geezers)