The American Journalism Historians Association presented Saltzgaver with its Outstanding Award for Substantial Contribution to the Public Interest at its 44th annual convention at the Hilton Hotel in Long Beach.
Former Grunion editor Harry Saltzgaver gives a speech as he is honored in an award ceremony during the 44th Annual American Journalism Historians Association Convention in Long Beach, on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
If ever there was a Mr. Everything in Long Beach, his name would be Harry Saltzgaver.
As former executive editor of the Grunion Gazette, a weekly newspaper and sister publication of the Press-Telegram, Saltzgaver was a workaholic as a reporter, editor, page designer, public speaker and supporter of anything that helped people.
In his popular “A Pinch of Salt” column, Harry Saltzgaver has written about everything from his two dogs, Khloe and Pluto, to the heart attack that almost scared him to death and to making fun of himself when he has memory lapses.
There are two constants in Saltzgaver’s long career as a journalist: his love of people and his adopted community of Long Beach.
Those loves were honored last week when the American Journalism Historians Association presented Saltzgaver with its Outstanding Award for Substantial Contribution to the Public Interest at its 44th annual convention at the Hilton Hotel in Long Beach.
Also honored was Lynette Romero, co-anchor of NBC4’s week-day morning newscast, “Today in L.A.”
Former Grunion editor Harry Saltzgaver gives a speech as he is honored in an award ceremony during the 44th Annual American Journalism Historians Association Convention in Long Beach, on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
“Both are award-winning journalists who have made the kind of history that we work to preserve through our research and teaching,” said AJHA President Debra Reddin van Tuyll.
Madeleine Liseblad, an associate professor of journalism and public relations at Cal State Long Beach and co-host of the convention, said the selection committee “had many terrific journalists to pick from but Romero and Saltzgaver stood out.”
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Liseblad, a member of the selection committee, said that Romero and Saltzgaver were not only outstanding journalists, “but they also believe in being a part of and giving back to the communities they serve.”
I had the honor of introducing Saltzgaver for the award presentation.
Harry and I were friendly rivals for many years dating back to when I was managing editor of the Press-Telegram and he arrived in Long Beach in 1992 to take over as editor of the Grunion.
When the Press-Telegram’s parent company bought the Gazette Newspapers a few years ago, Harry wrote about how funny that felt because for years, he said, he would wake up every morning and try to figure out how he could beat out the bigger Press-Telegram in news coverage.
We had many friendly conversations on how often that happened or didn’t happen.
There is no question that Harry took the Grunion to a higher level of local community journalism until he retired in 2023 to become managing editor of Sunstone Management, a venture capital firm in Irvine. Fortunately, he has continued writing his “Pinch of Salt” column which is published weekly in the Press-Telegram and Grunion.
Harry many times has said that his job at the Grunion was the best job he ever had. “I’ve been privileged to experience things that most people only get to read about,” he has said.
“And, once in a while, I’ve been able to make a small difference in our little part of the world.”
He also credits his wife, Maria, with helping to support all of his activities.
Harry has made a difference since he was born in 1953 and raised in Arvada, a small town near Denver, Colorado. His first journalism job was writing theater reviews on a manual typewriter in Creede, Colorado, a small silver mining town in the mountains.
That led to jobs at the famous Greeley Tribune and eventually a move to California and the now-defunct Oxnard Press Courier. In 1992 he accepted an offer from John and Fran Blowitz to run the Gazette Newspapers.
In his spare time, he wrote a book, “Passionately Positive: The Beverly O’Neill Story” about the former 12-year mayor of Long Beach. He put some of his best columns in a book, “20 Years of Salt in a 10-Pound Bag.”
He also writes the script for the humorous Long Beach Playhouse Radio Hour, a fundraiser for the community theater. His weekly video rant was also popular with viewers and helped him gain something of a reputation as a curmudgeon.
“I like to think I built a reputation for telling the truth,” he said. “If I saw something wrong, I wrote about it.”
He also served on various community boards, including the Long Beach Water Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Goodwill, U.S. Vets, WomenShelter of Long Beach, Public Corporation for the Arts and Grand Prix of Long Beach Foundation and Chamber of Commerce.
He was very proud of his work with nonprofits and charity events.
In his acceptance speech last week, he talked about starting charity events to support heart programs at Long Beach hospitals and helping start a Christmas gift card drive for the clients at WomenShelter, the city’s domestic violence rescue organization.
“What was really important, I think, was the chance to use the Grunion as a platform to help the helpers–the nonprofits and charities that made Long Beach the giving community it is today,” he said.
“Those are the things that create community, and I contend that’s the job of community newspapers. Of course, you also write about it when somebody does something wrong. That’s how you maintain credibility and protect your community.”
Harry said he “bemoaned the state of newspapers and journalism in general these days when it appears anyone with a bully pulpit – or a social media account – can claim to be spreading their own truth with a capital T. But I thank God for you and people like you continuing the good fight for the good of the community.”
In accepting the AJHA award, he said, “I have been blessed with a career at the Grunion that allowed me a platform to do a little good, and I thank God for that, too. I like to think that we’ve made Long Beach a little better place to be. Bless you and keep on keeping on!”