About Us

PRESS CLUB OF LONG ISLAND is a chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. We’re devoted to protecting and advocating for First Amendment rights, furthering ethical standards and providing ongoing training for our members.

PCLI, one of SPJ’s largest pro chapters, hosts the PCLI Media Awards annually in June, honoring the best in local journalism. The awards ceremony also includes inductions of the newest members of the Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame, which PCLI founded in 2014.

The club was founded in 1974 in response to a reporter who was jailed for failing to reveal a source. The club’s first president, Karl Grossman, says the founders borrowed a media list from Stony Brook University’s university relations department and sent letters to members of the press. More than 50 journalists showed up for a historic first meeting at the Three Village Inn in Stony Brook. PCLI not only gave journalists a place where they could connect, but more importantly promoted journalism advocacy.

PCLI adopted a constitution during its first year and operated for several years as an independent organization before joining SPJ.