Bylines Alumni Newsletter

Chicago newspaper veteran Friedlander stays in touch through his volunteerism

Dan Friedlander ('55) has had his own public relations firm for 30 years, but that's not the only way he's in touch with the news business.

Friedlander is in his fifth year as editor of the Chicago Press Veterans newsletter, and in his sixth term as the group's secretary. In all, he has spent a quarter century as editor of three Chicago journalism publications and 10 years writing columns on ethics and the inside information about journalists. He was also recently elected to the board of the Chicago Newspaper Reporters Association, comprised of former and present police reporters.

A former editor of the CU student newspaper, he covered the Chicago police beat in the 1950s and 1960s and also covered courts.

"Mayor Richard Daley, now deceased, introduced me to scotch with his -- and now my -- favorite brand, Chivas Regal," Friedlander said. "At a Philippine government party one night, he led me to the bar five times ordering a Chivas for me."

Friedlander left the reporting limelight to raise a family.

"My wife and I decided that with three young children and the pressures we saw facing media bigwigs and their families, we did not want to take a chance our children would grow up without some time for me to be with them. We also wanted more stability for them than we saw with media children whose parents were well known."

He started Friedlander Communications Ltd., in Blackburn, Ill., in 1969, and recently moved the office to Gurnee, Ill. He estimated that since then he has spent 10 to 20 percent of his time in nonprofit PR involving journalism, education and child abuse.

He has also served on the advisory board for the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill., as well as chairman of a number of committees for the Society of Professional Journalists.