CONTACT:
Claire Regan, SPJ National President, cregan@spj.org
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

WASHINGTON — Claire M. Regan was sworn in as the 106th president of the Society of Professional Journalists during the President's Awards Banquet at MediaFest22, SPJ’s annual convention held in Washington, D.C.

A passionate journalist with more than 30 years of newsroom experience in reporting, editing, design and management, Regan has spent much of her career at her hometown newspaper, the Staten Island (New York) Advance, where she started as a part-time wedding writer and rose to managing editor.

At Wagner College, her alma mater in New York City, she is an assistant professor of journalism and faculty adviser to the student newspaper.

Regan’s editing and design work has been honored by the Associated Press, the Society for News Design, the New York City Deadline Club and the New York Press Club.

She completed a yearlong fellowship in journalism ethics at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, where she also taught classes in reporting and design as an adjunct faculty member.

Regan earned the Diversity and Internationalization Award from Wagner College for her work with the Mandela Washington Fellowship, a summer program for young African leaders. She also holds the Charles O’Malley Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association.

She is a founding board member of the Journalists Association of New York and has served as a judging facilitator for the Society for News Design’s annual international competition.

A steady SPJ member since 1995, Regan has served on the Deadline Club executive board for most of those years, including three consecutive terms as chapter president. She chaired the SPJ Region 1 Conference in 2017 and the biennial New York Journalism Hall of Fame luncheon in 2019. She also completed training with the Ted Scripps Leadership Institute.

“Journalists need SPJ now more than ever for support and solidarity,” Regan said. “As president, I will push for initiatives that empower journalists to hold the powerful accountable; create a publicity campaign to strengthen the SPJ brand and raise awareness about SPJ resources and programming and showcase the accomplishments of SPJ chapters and communities.

“I promise to work hard to make every SPJ member feel valued and empowered,” she added.

She takes the reins from Rebecca Aguilar, a freelance reporter based in Dallas.

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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