The White House Correspondents’ Association℠ is distributing a record $132,500 to eighteen (18) journalism student from five prestigious universities, and will honor the recipients at its annual scholarship luncheon on Friday, April 30th .
Since 1991, the WHCA℠ has awarded nearly $360,000 in scholarship money to 42 graduating high school seniors and college-level students. The success of this dinner allows members of the White House press corps to give back to the next generation of reporters.This year, the students will be recognized at a noon-time luncheon at the Atlantic Media offices, 600 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., to be followed by a panel titled: “Press & the Presidency: A Front Row Seat to History.”Former White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry will moderate the discussion with five veterans of the White House press corps:
“This on-the-record forum will give these students a first-hand perspective on covering the presidency,” said Edwin Chen of Bloomberg News & President of WHCA. “The session will also allow these new journalists to discuss how the press corps does its job in an era with new challenges of access, and at a time when our business is undergoing profound changes.” The scholarships are targeted in different ways. Columbia University’s grant allows a student from the Middle East to study here and return home to share the best standards of American journalism in that crucial region. At Northwestern, our scholars must demonstrate interest in reporting on government affairs. And at Missouri, the WHCA℠ scholarship program enables up to 10 students to attend its semester-long program in Washington.
For a full list of this year’s recipients, visit the SCHOLARSHIPS page