From Bob Meyers

Bob Meyers
President & Chief Operating Officer
National Press Foundation

Roy Aarons was the best reporter I ever met. In the early 1970s I was a stringer for The Washington Post and Newsweek, in Los Angeles. Roy’s responsibilities took him away from L.A. a great deal, and he hired me to do stringing for the paper. One time I was in the office (mid-Wilshire district) when he was working somebody on the phone. I still feel sorry for the guy. Roy kept saying, “I need facts, I need facts!” and he didn’t let up until he got what he wanted. It remains one of the most impressive performances I’ve ever seen. Roy had what every great journalist has – a gut response that tells him whether something is a story, and how to pursue it. After nearly 30 years in the business, I still regard him as one of my mentors.