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Jeffrey Ressner began his journalism career as a messenger at the LA Weekly, and from 1993-2007 was a Time correspondent in Los Angeles. He was also a writer for Rolling Stone, US Weekly, the Hollywood Reporter and Cash Box, and more recently for Politico based in Los Angeles and the DGA Quarterly. Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard.
The THR and Billboard obituary is by Roy Trakin. Excerpt:
Ressner was born and raised by the Jersey shore, in the small town of Lakewood, where he developed a love of journalism at an early age by penning letters to the editor of the local paper. He frequently wrote for his high school newspaper and also started an underground journal that was banned from school property. Jeffrey graduated Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois, moving to Los Angeles in 1979 to pursue a career as a writer and journalist. He joined the L.A. Weekly shortly after its launch, working his way up from a messenger and typesetter to become a contributing editor, covering everything from the new age movement and marijuana decriminalization to profiles of indie film directors and local rock bands. He began his trade journalism career at Cash Box and The Hollywood Reporter before going consumer, joining Rolling Stone as a senior writer in 1988, where he wrote numerous cover stories and features in his three-year tenure.
Jeffrey then took a management position at the magazine’s sister publication, Us Weekly, as West Coast Bureau Chief. As a business and entertainment reporter at Time Magazine for 15 years through much of the ‘90s, Jeffrey wrote cover stories on Steve Jobs and the formation of Dreamworks SKG. He was equally at home with politicians, businessmen and rock stars, writing about California icons from O.J. Simpson to Arnold Schwarzenegger, media moguls Steven Spielberg, Rupert Murdoch, David Geffen and Terry Semel as well as Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Winona Ryder, Jerry Seinfeld and Tommy Lee Jones. One of his favorite interview moments occurred on the afternoon he escorted Bjork to the Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge, where she snuggled up to a piano and began singing Gershwin tunes. Ressner joined the online site Politico as their Hollywood correspondent, and then worked the last few years as a freelancer.
Some nice notes on Twitter.
This hits me in the heart. Jeffrey Ressner, a colleague from TIME, has died at 56. http://t.co/7OfIb0r1Hz
— Rebecca Keegan (@ThatRebecca) July 1, 2014So sorry to hear this about @JeffreyRessner. Terrific guy. http://t.co/5ditcUHMqh
— Richard Rushfield (@richardrushfield) July 1, 2014Jeff Ressner was a great colleague and a huge help when I was a clueless newbie at TIME. RIP. http://t.co/E45VZiwwAd
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) July 1, 2014Shocked & saddened to learn of Jeffrey Ressner's death, a great journo who didn't mind being harangued mercilessly by us film pr folk.
— Bumble Ward (@BumbleWard) July 1, 2014