The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor that a United States congressional committee would select which journalists could attend press conferences of President Woodrow Wilson.[4]
The WHCA operates independently of the White House. Among the more notable issues handled by the WHCA are the credentialing process, access to the president and physical conditions in the White House press briefing rooms.[5][6] Its most high-profile activity is the annual White House Correspondents' dinner, which is traditionally attended by the president and covered by the news media. Except for Donald Trump, every president has attended at least one WHCA dinner, beginning with Calvin Coolidge in 1924.[7]
Association leadership, 2023–2024
The leadership of the White House Correspondents' Association includes:[5]
The WHCA's annual dinner, begun in 1921,[17] has become a Washington, D.C. tradition, and is traditionally attended by the president and vice president. Except for Donald Trump, every president has attended at least one WHCA dinner, beginning with Calvin Coolidge in 1924.[7][4][18] The dinner is traditionally held on the evening of the last Saturday in April at the Washington Hilton.
Until 1962, the dinner was open only to men,[19] even though WHCA's membership included women. At the urging of Helen Thomas, President John F. Kennedy refused to attend the dinner unless the ban on women was dropped.[20]
Prior to World War II, the annual dinner featured singing between courses, a homemade movie, and an hour-long, post-dinner show with big-name performers.[4] Since 1983, the featured speaker has usually been a comedian, with the dinner taking on the form of a comedy roast of the president and his administration.
The dinner also funds scholarships for gifted students in college journalism programs.[21]
Many annual dinners have been cancelled or downsized due to deaths or political crises. The dinner was cancelled in 1930 due to the death of former president William Howard Taft; in 1942, following the United States' entry into World War II; and in 1951, over what President Harry S. Truman called the "uncertainty of the world situation."[22] In 1981, Ronald Reagan did not attend because he was recuperating after the attempted assassination the previous month, but he did phone in and told a joke about the shooting.[23]
During his presidency, Donald Trump did not attend the dinners in 2017, 2018, and 2019.[24] Trump indicated that he might attend in 2019 since this dinner did not feature a comedian as the featured speaker.[25] However, on April 5, 2019, he announced that he again would not attend, calling the dinner "so boring, and so negative," instead hosting a political rally that evening in Wisconsin.[26][27] On April 22, Trump ordered a boycott of the dinner, with White House Cabinet SecretaryBill McGinley assembling the agencies' chiefs of staff to issue a directive that members of the administration not attend.[28][29] However, some members of the administration attended pre- and post-dinner parties.[30]
Dinner criticisms
The WHCD has been increasingly criticized as an example of the coziness between the White House press corps and the administration.[31][32] The dinner has typically included a skit, either live or videotaped, by the sitting U.S. president in which he mocks himself, for the amusement of the press corps.[31] The press corps, in turn, hobnobs with administration officials, even those who are unpopular and are not regularly cooperative with the press.[31] Increasing scrutiny by bloggers has contributed to added public focus on this friendliness.[31]
After the 2007 dinner, New York Times columnist Frank Rich implied that the Times would no longer participate in the dinners.[33] Rich wrote that the dinner had become "a crystallization of the press's failures in the post-9/11 era" because it "illustrates how easily a propaganda-driven White House can enlist the Washington news media in its shows".[33]
Other criticism has focused on the amount of money actually raised for scholarships, which has decreased over the past few years.[21]
The dinners have drawn increasing public attention, and the guest list grows "more Hollywood".[6] The attention given to the guest list and entertainers often overshadows the intended purpose of the dinner, which is to "acknowledge award-winners, present scholarships, and give the press and the president an evening of friendly appreciation".[6] This has led to an atmosphere of coming to the event only to "see and be seen".[6] This usually takes place at pre-dinner receptions and post-dinner parties hosted by various media organizations, which are often a bigger draw and can be more exclusive than the dinners themselves.[34][35][36]
The public airings of the controversies around the dinner from the mid-2000s onward gradually focused concern about the nature of the event.[37] While interest in the event from entertainers, journalists, and political figures was high during the Obama administration, by the period of the Trump administration, interest gradually slowed in attending, especially after President Trump announced he would not attend, nor his staff.[38] Business related to the weekend event slowed considerably, including at hotels, high-end restaurants, salons, caterers, and limo companies. During the Trump administration, some media companies stopped hosting parties, while other of the roughly 25 events held during the three-day period gained more prominence as signs of social status.[37] By 2019, the dinner and associated parties had returned somewhat to their previous nature as networking and media functions, with packed houses of media industry employees and Washington political figures.[30]
After the April 30, 2022, dinner, several attendees, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken tested positive for COVID-19.[39] However, no cases of serious illness were reported as a result of the dinner.[40]
President Nixon was in attendance; he later described the dinner as "probably the worst of this type that I have attended," and called the attendees "a drunken group; crude, and terribly cruel."[61]
1972
President Nixon declined to attend and sent his wife, Pat Nixon, in his place.[62]
When President Ford rose to speak, he pretended to fumble, and began his speech with "Good evening. I'm Gerald Ford and you're not"—a reference to Chase's catchphrase from Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update.[68]
President Bill Clinton also mocked himself in the short film President Clinton: The Final Days, which depicted him as a lonely man closing down a nearly deserted White House, riding a bicycle, and learning about the Internet with the help of actor Mike Maronna.
Colbert performed while being in character of his television satire of a right-wing cable television pundit.[102] Colbert also screened a video featuring Helen Thomas. Several of President Bush's aides and supporters walked out during Colbert's speech, and one former aide said that the President had "that look that he's ready to blow".[103]Steve Bridges also performed a Bush impersonation.[104]
Like his Late Late Show monologues, Ferguson appeared to go off script and started improvising new jokes. It was noted that President Bush had difficulty understanding Ferguson's Scottish accent.[107]
Leno hosted for the fourth time, more than any other individual in the dinner's history.[110] Leno had been chosen several weeks before his controversial Tonight Show conflict,[111] and his use of recycled jokes was noted by critics.[112]
Prior to President Obama's remarks, a video with Vice President Biden and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who plays Vice President Selina Meyer on the HBO show Veep, is shown.[125]
Keegan-Michael Key made a guest appearance as President Obama's "anger translator",[128] Luther, a recurring character from the Comedy Central show Key & Peele.[129]
Wilmore delivered a controversial, searing routine targeting the president, elite media, lobbyists, politicians, and celebrities. At the end of the speech, Wilmore ended his set by thanking President Obama for having been the country's first black President and finished his speech by calling him "my nigga" on live television. This remark sparked controversy among the media, with some calling it disrespectful.[132]
President Trump did not attend the dinner for the second consecutive year.[140] Instead, he sent his press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.[141]Wolf received both praise and criticism for her monologue. The association released a rare statement regarding the monologue.[142][143][144] Several attendees walked out in reaction to Wolf's "brutal" comments.[145] After the dinner, newspaper The Hill informed the WHCA that it would no longer participate in the event, saying, "In short, there's simply no reason for us to participate in something that casts our profession in a poor light. Major changes are needed to the annual event."[146][147]
President Trump did not attend the dinner for the third consecutive year.[150] Additionally, Trump ordered some of his staff and administration members to boycott the dinner.[151]
The WHCA chose historian Ron Chernow as the featured speaker instead of a comedian after Wolf's controversial set.[148]
2020
—
The dinner was originally scheduled for April 25, 2020, with comedian Kenan Thompson hosting and political entertainer and former WHCD host Hasan Minhaj as the featured entertainment.[152][153] On March 22 the dinner was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, without naming a substitute date.[154] On April 13 a new date of August 29 was announced.[155]On June 23 WHCA President Jonathan Karl announced that the dinner itself would be canceled, but that the WHCA was working on a virtual presentation format to honor award winners and scholarship recipients.[156][152] On August 14 Hasan Minhaj spoke privately via Zoom with the WHCA 2020 scholarship recipients, who also attended a private online panel discussion by three veteran Washington political reporters that day.[157][158]
2021
—
On April 14, 2021, WHCA executive director Steven Thomma announced that improvements in the pandemic situation had not been sufficient to allow the association to proceed with a large indoor event, and that no dinner would be held in 2021.[159] However, the association still intended to select recipients for its annual journalism awards and student scholarships, and announced that it planned to go ahead with the dinner the following year, on April 30, 2022.[159]
The dinner was held in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.[160] President Joe Biden attended the dinner, making him the first president to attend the dinner since Trump boycotted the event throughout his presidency.[161]
This section is missing information about award recipients. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(November 2023)
Established in 1981 in memory of Aldo Beckman (1934–1980), the "late Chicago Tribune Washington bureau chief, a past president of the association.... Given annually to a Washington reporter 'who personifies the journalistic excellence as well as the personal qualities exemplified by Mr. Beckman, an award-winning White House correspondent.'"[164] Awarded for overall excellence in White House coverage.[165]
Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure
This section is missing information about award recipients and specific articles/shows. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(November 2023)
The award was established in 1970 as the Merriman Smith Memorial Award for outstanding examples of deadline reporting.[165] (Smith died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1970.) The award was renamed in 2022 after the WHCA determined that Smith had supported excluding Black and female journalists from membership in the National Press Club and from attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner.[213][19]
"President Reagan's blaming a terrorist attack on the U.S. Embassy annex in Beirut on the 'near destruction' of U.S. intelligence during the Carter administration."
President Clinton and taxes: "For getting a scoop from an on-the-record presidential speech.... Cornwell's entry was the only one that caused second-day stories (and more) to be written. It not only covered news; it created news."
"Spot news coverage of the 1996 election campaign"; "she found time to ... deliver an insightful audio portrait of a small California town that President Clinton visited last October."
Reporting that "Standard & Poor was on the verge of downgrading America's triple-A credit rating because of concerns over political gridlock in Washington"
Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability
A $10,000 prize to "recognize an individual or newsgathering team for coverage of subjects and events of significant national or regional importance in line with the human and professional qualities exemplified by the late Katharine Graham, the distinguished former publisher of The Washington Post. Debuted in 2020.[230]
Decision "to report, verify and publish the draft Supreme Court opinion reversing abortion rights – and the organization’s follow-up work exploring the consequences of the decision...."
"The Washington Post shows courage, sensitivity and originality in breaking with journalism industry norms to inform and show readers how the AR-15 weapon inflicts horrific damage to the human body."
Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage by Visual Journalists
$1,000 "award recognizes a video or photojournalist for uniquely covering the presidency from a journalistic standpoint, either at the White House or in the field. This could be breaking news, a scheduled event or feature coverage."[211] Debuted in 2020.
"US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, President Joe Biden, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wait for a meeting at Villa La Grange June 16, 2021, in Geneva."
"President Joe Biden walks between the Marine Honor Guard as he enters an event to celebrate the passage of H.R. 5376, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022."
Named in honor of the distinguished correspondent Edgar Allen Poe (1906–1998),[231] a former WHCA president unrelated to the American fiction writer of the nearly identical name.[232] Funded by the New Orleans Times-Picayune and Newhouse Newspapers,[231] the award honored excellence in news coverage of subjects and events of significant national or regional importance to the American people.[233] The Edgar A. Poe Memorial Award was presented from 1990 to 2019, when it was replaced by the Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability and the Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage by Visual Journalists.
Named in honor of Raymond Clapper (1892-1944) and given "to a journalist or team for distinguished Washington reporting."[234] The award was presented from 1944 to 2003, usually at the WHCA dinner[235] (although in the period 1951–1965 it was presented at the American Society of News Editors annual dinner).[236][237]
↑ At the start of his 2007 dinner speech, Little stated that he had previously hosted in 1984, but "had to wait until everybody died" before he was invited back.[73]
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↑ "Virus Cases Grow After White House Correspondents Dinner". New York Times. May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022. The White House Correspondents Dinner required proof of vaccination and a same-day negative test, and boosters were strongly encouraged...Attendees of the dinner expressed resignation as the number of confirmed cases grew over the course of the day on Wednesday.
↑ Bernstein, Carl; Woodward, Bob (June 15, 1974). All the President's Men. Simon & Schuster. p.284. ISBN978-0-671-21781-5. It was held on April 14 at the Washington Hilton and Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Kissinger, and the President (who arrived after dinner flanked by a retinue of POWs) were among those who sat through an evening's entertainment that was interspersed with savage Watergate jokes.
↑ Smith, Terence (May 7, 1979). "Suddenly, a New Look for Carter". Reporter's Notebook. The New York Times. ...the recent White House Correspondents Association dinner, where the President delivered a genuinely funny speech with a sure sense of timing that, to the dismay of his speechwriters, he rarely displays in public. He repeatedly brought the house down with well‐paced one‐liners about his job, the press corps, his new hairstyle and Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. of California, whose expected Presidential campaign he called 'California's way of celebrating the Year of the Child.'
↑ Rosellini, Lynn (March 29, 1981). "NEWS MEDIA PARTIES COMING INTO VOGUE". The New York Times. The spring calendar is also crammed with social events sponsored by news organizations. Among them are ... the White House Correspondents Association (April 25)....
↑ Randolph, Eleanor (April 28, 1985). "Post Reporter David Hoffman Wins 2 Awards". The Washington Post. ...the Raymond Clapper Memorial Award to Mark J. Thompson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.... David Rogers of The Wall Street Journal ... also won a second-place Clapper award.... Honorable mention for the Clapper award went to Fred Hiatt of The Washington Post....
↑ Sahl kids Democrats, Republicans. President Reagan wrote in his diary how funny Sahl was.
↑ Sherrill, Martha (May 1, 1989). "IT'S BUSH SHANDLING'S SHOW". The Washington Post. Impressionist Jim Morris began his Bush bit in silence – just moving his head, sort of stammering, trying to get some words out. The president [Bush], watching Morris do his inarticulate-thing, started laughing hard, and finally held his big white dinner napkin over his face.
↑ "Newsmakers: White House Press Lauds Exiting Prexy Robert Ellison, Sinbad Dishes Out Laughs". Jet. May 20, 1991. pp.34–35. The comic genius brought in to entertain at the association's 77th annual black-tie dinner by Sheridan Broadcasting Company's Robert Ellison, the first and only Black president of the elite organization, brought down the house with hilarious quips and jokes about Bush's less than impressive fishing skills.
↑ "PAR Hall of Fame". University of Illinois Springfield Public Affairs Reporting. Retrieved November 26, 2023. In 1996, Cornwell won the Merriman Smith award for presidential reporting on a deadline, given to one journalist a year by the White House Correspondents' Association.
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