The White House Correspondents’ Association is pleased to announce our college scholarship winners for 2022, with students coming from 15 colleges and universities around the country.

“We White House correspondents are honored to play a part as these 31 bright young people begin their careers,” said WHCA President Steven Portnoy.

“We are grateful for the generous donations of our employers and members of the public, whose support has made these grants to our scholars possible.”

The WHCA has allocated $131,500 from its reserves for this year’s scholarships, the second-largest such outlay in the program’s history. It is leveraging nearly $50,000 this year in other aid as well.

The students will be featured at a luncheon and program in their honor in Washington on April 29 and will be guests of the WHCA at its annual dinner on April 30.

Since the WHCA began giving scholarships in 1991, it has awarded more than $1.6 million in grants and leveraged another $1.3 million in aid.

The WHCA scholarships are financed by proceeds from the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner and tax-deductible contributions to the WHCA. 

Click here make a tax deductible donation in support of scholarships.

We also thank several others who generously help these terrific students. Some scholarships are also supported by partnerships with the Asian-American Journalists Association, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Reuters, and the White House Historical Association.

The 2022 Scholarship winners:

American University

Skye Witley is a journalism major in his final year at American University. An a capella singer from Olympia, WA, he was an intern for NBC Washington and Voice of America, works as a staff copy editor for Clean & Prosperous America, and is a Congressional Correspondent for The Durango Herald. Skye is a local news editor and investigative reporter for the AU newspaper, The Eagle, and aspires to be an investigative environmental journalist.

Arizona State University

Brooke Newman of Ventura, CA is currently at Arizona State University working on her graduate honors thesis, which conducts a comparative analysis of mass communication law in the U.S. and the UK. She served as a teaching assistant to JMC 110 at the Cronkite school and has written for Cronkite News Washington, D.C., The Arizona Republic, and AZ Big Media. Selected as a Carnegie-Knight News 21 fellow for the spring and summer of 2022, Brooke hopes to write for a mass communication law journal while in law school and participate in a social or criminal justice related externship.

Diannie Chavez, a journalism and mass communications major from Phoenix, is a junior at Arizona State University, where she is a photojournalist for the school’s newspaper and was a member of its first Diversity Council. A regular on the Dean’s List, she completed a photo internship with PHOENIX Magazine, worked the Cronkite News DC Bureau team, and undertook an investigative fellowship with News21. She is pursuing a career in photojournalism and documentary making and hopes to focus her work on social justice, immigration, and criminal justice.

Alexia Stanbridge, an aspiring broadcast news reporter/anchor, is a senior at Arizona State University majoring in journalism and mass communications. The Morgan, UT native produces “Break It Down” on Arizona PBS and has helped produce “Arizona Horizon,” an AZPBS television program that covers Arizona news in depth. Alexia is on the Dean’s List and has been published on multiple news sites, including the Phoenix Business Journal, Tucson Sentinel, and AZ Big Media.

Arizona State University

Trust in Reporting Scholarship

Neetish Basnet is pursuing a graduate degree in mass communications at Arizona State University. From Kathmandu, Nepal, he is a former fellow of the Dow Jones News Fund digital media program and built a digital-first, nonprofit news organization as a founding reporter. A former graphics designer for a business news magazine, Neetish hopes to work as a business reporter in a national news publication.

Columbia University

Malak AlSayyad, an Albright Institute for Global Affairs fellow and recipient of the MacFarquhar ’59 Internship for International Journalism, holds a B.A. in Cinema & Media Studies and Media Arts & Sciences from Wellesley College. From Cairo, Egypt, Malak is co-president of AMEJA at Columbia University and most recently lived in Berlin, where she worked in organizations focused on training and supporting filmmakers and artists from the Arab region and Africa. The aspiring documentary filmmaker hopes to work in the Middle East and focus on the people and movements that challenge subjects such as inequality, power, and taboo.

Dartmouth College

With the Asian American Journalists Association

Daniel Lam of Whitestone, NY is a senior at Dartmouth College, where he studies government and policy rhetoric, conducts political science research, and competitively chops wood on the timber team. The Dartmouth College Radio news director hosts a variety show, worked as a commercial rock DJ, and has produced podcasts for a political consulting firm and a creative production company. Daniel has reported and produced news stories for NPR’s National Desk and aspires to a career covering national politics as a broadcast journalist.

Hampton University

Trust In Reporting Scholarship

Sara Avery is a senior majoring in journalism at Hampton University. Hailing from Raleigh, NC, she is the EP of WHOV, editor-in-chief of The Hampton Script, and a member of the NABJ. She is a 2020 Pulitzer fellow and the recipient of the 2019 Hampton Roads Black Media Professional Scholarship and the 2020 National News Publishers Association Fund Scholarship. Sara would like to be an investigative reporter.

Howard University

Harry S. McAlpin Jr. Scholarship

Corinne Dorsey of Dallas, TX, a junior journalism major, is a staff writer for The Hilltop, press secretary for the Howard University SA Administration, editor-in-chief for Revolutionaire, and vice president for Her Campus Howard. She worked with Reebok on a project about Allen Iverson’s 20th anniversary of the Question shoe collection, wrote a cover story for The Dallas Morning News, and is currently an intern with CNN D.C. With a love of highlighting black voices and stories, Corinne hopes to become a leading anchor for a major network or an editor for a major publication.

Howard University

Kiara Patterson serves on the executive board for the Howard University Association of Black Journalists and is its social media co-chair. She is a reporter for the Spotlight TV Network, a reporter for The Hilltop, and has been on the Dean’s list with a 4.0 GPA every semester. The junior from Shaker Heights, OH is a broadcast journalism major and hopes to be an anchor or reporter for a major television station or network.

Kendall Lanier is the general manager of Spotlight Network, executive secretary for the Howard University Association of Black Journalists, and a reporter for The Hilltop newspaper. The junior journalism major was a National Content Center intern for CNN and is currently interning with Fox Sports as a Talent Relations intern. From Kansas City, MO, Kendall aspires to be a broadcast journalist focusing on entertainment and sports, eventually having her own show on a major network.

Iowa State University

Hugh Sidey Scholarship  

Cooper Pierce of Grimes, IA is a junior majoring in journalism and political science at Iowa State University. He currently serves as marketing specialist for Iowa State Recreation Services and has prior experience as a communications intern at the Office of the Iowa Attorney General, a reporter for Iowa State Daily, and digital content creator for the Rachel for Ames campaign. Cooper plans to attend graduate school.

Northwestern University

Allison Novelo is earning a Master of Science in Journalism at Northwestern University with a specialization in politics, policy, and foreign affairs. The Wheeling, IL native has covered the governor’s race in Virginia for USA Today and is working as a freelance reporter for the Frederick News Post, all while serving in the National Guard as a public affairs specialist. Allison, a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, hopes to report on politics and policies affecting minority groups and cover underreported communities.

Northwestern University

Deborah Orin Scholarship

Annie Klingenberg is a graduate student at Northwestern and a native of West Chester, PA. She has written and produced news videos (including writing and hosting a news satire show as an undergrad) and is most proud of the abortion coverage she produced regarding SCOTUS hearings and national protests. Annie has written for several media outlets, including TheGrio and Sojourners, and hopes to be a campaign reporter and a White House correspondent.

Julia Mueller, a graduate student at Northwestern, has had work published with USA Today, UPI, several regional papers, and The Hill, where she is currently an editorial intern. The Beaverton, OR native was managing editor and co-author of an investigative reporting book, “Classroom 15,” which was featured in the New York Times, and is the recipient of the Academic Excellence in Journalism award and the Phi Beta Kappa Oregon Six award from the University of Oregon. Julia plans to pursue a career covering issues of law, policy, and politics in Washington, D.C.

Ohio University

Kayla Bennett is the assistant culture editor at The Post, Ohio University’s independently run student newspaper, a section editor for Thread Magazine, a fashion-forward magazine on campus, and treasurer of Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists. The Dayton, OH junior is majoring in journalism with a minor in political science.Kayla is considering attending law school and aspires to be an editor at a newspaper or magazine.

Abby Neff of Columbus, OH is a news reporter, culture writer, and copy editor for The Post, Ohio University’s campus newspaper, and previously worked as an associate editor and staff writer for OU’s Backdrop Magazine. A winner of the Bob and Colleen “Koky” Dishon Scholarship from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism in 2019, she also worked at The New Political as a staff writer and won a Hearst Award for Breaking News while there. She also interned at Matter News. Majoring in journalism and Spanish, the junior hopes to report on Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S. and Latin America, one day working as a managing editor of a publication.

Kate Marijolovic is a junior from Willoughby Hills, OH majoring in journalism at Ohio University. She worked as a reporter for The New Political, an independent student publication covering local politics, and was selected to participate in Ohio University’s Scripps Semester in D.C. program in 2021, where she interned in the office of U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-9). Kate hopes to work as a foreign correspondent, reporting on international politics across the globe.

Seton Hall University

With National Association of Hispanic Journalists  

Amanda DeJesus, a journalism and political science double major from New York City, is a junior at Seton Hall University. A former intern at Staten Island Advance, she is currently the news editor of her college newspaper and a DJ at Seton Hall’s radio station. Amanda plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in journalism covering politics and social justice issues.

University of California, Berkeley

Cokie Roberts Scholarship

Maria Fernanda Bernal, a former reporter and social media marketing coordinator for the Richmond Pulse, was the first-place award winner of the Mexican Institute of Radio (IMER) 2021 and the Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington D.C contest. A multimedia graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, she is currently a KQED newscast intern, where her duties include writing stories for broadcasting. A first-generation student and a DACA recipient from Richmond, CA, she wants to bring truth to communities through versatile reporting.

University of Kansas

Lily O’Shea Becker is an associate producer, multimedia journalist, and anchor for KUJH News and has experience as a news correspondent, photojournalist, and copy editor for the University Daily Kansan. A junior journalism major, Lily photographed a sexual assault protest at a University of Kansas fraternity, which was published in the Kansas Reflector and is a current nominee for a Hearst Journalism Award. The aspiring journalist from St. Louis, MO is an intern with “Good Morning Indian Country” and is considering attending law school.

University of Maryland

Sophia Marchionini is a freshman at the University of Maryland, to which she brings four years of yearbook experience. Majoring in journalism, she is from Silver Spring, MD. Her goal is to be a columnist in The Washington Post Magazine.

Katherine Mahoney, a journalism and studio art double major, is a staff writer for HerCampus Maryland, the layout and design co-director and senior website manager for Monumental Magazine, and the cover designer for the 2021 Paper Shell Review at the University of Maryland. The sophomore from Olney, MD does freelance work for organizations in her community, such as The Beacon and Kensington Neighbors Magazine, and for campus organizations like The Diamondback and Mitzpeh. Katherine is interested in combining her love for writing and local news to tell the stories of everyday people.

Erin Harper is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and has worked for national and international news organizations such as PBS and CNN. A junior at the University of Maryland, the Washington, D.C. native writes short articles, some of which have been published in small media outlets, and daily affirmations to share with classmates. Erin’s plans include working as an international journalist specializing in foreign and domestic political issues.

Sarah Elbeshbishi has interned for USA TODAY’s Washington, D.C. bureau as a Politics Now intern since June of 2020 and is a member of the University of Maryland, College Park’s chapter of Society of Professional Journalists, serving the past two years as chapter president. The senior from Montgomery Village, MD is double majoring in journalism and public policy and serves as a copy editor for Stories Beneath the Shell, a student run publication focused on underreported stories. Sarah is looking to continue reporting after graduation, using a variety of platforms and her policy background to connect with different audiences to cover prominent national issues.

University of Missouri

Maia Bond, a junior journalism major, hopes to work as a government and political reporter for a publication in Washington, D.C. She has been the assistant sports feature editor at The Maneater, the official student newspaper of the University of Missouri, an intern at Phelps County Focus, and has had pieces in several publications. A city and county reporter for the Columbia Missourian, Maia is from Rolla, MO.

Mavis Chan is currently an intern writing PR material for the Office of Research and Economic Development. A junior at the University of Missouri double majoring in journalism and political science, she has worked in radio and television and has been published in the Columbia Missourian, the Longview News-Journal, and The Maneater. A native of Hong Kong, Mavis aspires to be a foreign correspondent, reporting on matters of diplomacy, war, business, and the international political economy.

Robert “Wicker” Perlis will be graduating from the University of Missouri this year with a major in journalism and a minor in religious studies. A son of the Big Easy, he is a fan of all New Orleans sports, along with the Missouri Tigers and St. Louis Blues. The IRE member is most interested in the intersections between religion, politics, government, and culture and hopes to cover those topics as a reporter somewhere in the southeastern United States.

Teghan Simonton of Maynard, AR is a graduate student at the University of Missouri and a research assistant in the data library at the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, part of Investigative Reporters & Editors. She was a staff reporter at the Tribune-Review, interned on the investigations team at USA TODAY, and has been repeatedly recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Pennsylvania News Media Association, the American Scholastic Press Association, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, and the Women’s Press Club of Pittsburgh.  A reporter for the Columbia Missourian, Teghan hopes to become an investigative reporter and work on projects that combine accountability reporting, data analysis, and narrative storytelling.

Jana Rose Schleis is a graduate student studying investigative journalism at the University of Missouri. From Two Creeks, WI, she is the morning newscaster for KBIA, mid-Missouri’s NPR member station, and a teacher’s assistant for J1100 – Principles of Journalism in Democracy. A new member of SHEJ, she believes journalism is a public service and an integral part of democracy and hopes to cover local or state government.

University of Tennessee

Carter Holland Scholarship

Lexie Martin is in her senior year at the University of Tennessee, majoring in journalism and electronic media. She has been a contributing writer for The Daily Beacon for four years and is the recipient of the Nellie D. Kenyon award (2019), the Willis Tucker Journalism Endowment (2020), and the Bonnie Hufford Scholarship (2021). From Murfreesboro, TN, Lexie would like to start off reporting for a small news station or a newspaper before becoming a political analyst or a White House Correspondent.

For more information, contact WHCA Executive Director Steve Thomma at director@whca.press

The White House Correspondents’ Association announces the winners of its 2022 journalism awards for work done in 2021.

The winners for presidential news coverage include journalists from ABC News, AFP, the Associated Press and Axios.

Their award-winning work covered efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, violence at the U.S. Capitol, Covid, and a meeting between President Joe Biden and Vladmir Putin.

Also, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Washington Post and an international consortium of other media partners is honored for work exposing financial secrets of more than 330 current and former heads of state as well as the U.S. role in the offshore system.

“Our panel of independent judges had a formidable task, reviewing dozens of worthy entries,” said WHCA president Steven Portnoy. “We are grateful for the panel’s efforts in identifying these winners, and we are excited to honor the recipients at our annual dinner.”

The awards will be presented at the WHCA Dinner on Saturday, April 30.

The winners:

THE ALDO BECKMAN AWARD FOR OVERALL EXCELLENCE IN WHITE HOUSE COVERAGE

Jonathan Swan, Axios

From the Judges:

The judges select Jonathan Swan for the Aldo Beckman award from a competitive list of entries that demonstrated the impact of White House policies and decisions on people’s lives. Swan’s riveting “Off The Rails” series describing the post-election turmoil in the White House illuminated, with speed and detail, the last-ditch efforts to overturn the election. The series also revealed President Trump’s ongoing attempts to put a loyalty stamp on the government’s national security apparatus. The stories, and their accompanying podcast, have been source material for the Jan. 6 investigating committee and have remained relevant amid continued revelations about the events surrounding the assault on the Capitol. 

See the winning coverage here

THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL NEWS COVERAGE UNDER DEADLINE PRESSURE – PRINT

Zeke Miller and Mike Balsamo, Associated Press, CDC mask order

From the Judges:

It started with a tip that led Mike Balsamo and Zeke Miller to the news most of America had been waiting for: The CDC was finally ready to relax the COVID-19 mask requirements. Balsamo and Miller drew on their sources to get the scoop, then they kept reporting through the day to deliver a tight, informative news stories on deadline that spelled out details of the new policy while capturing the mood of the moment, with voices from Capitol Hill to Sioux Falls. They also managed to look ahead to the challenges that lay ahead for enforcement of the new policy.

See the winning story here

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL COVERAGE UNDER DEADLINE PRESSURE – BROADCAST

Jonathan Karl, ABC News, Jan. 6 coverage

From the Judges:

While the insurrection was still unfolding, Jonathan Karl was delivering a comprehensive, even-keeled and thorough piece of television that was visually powerful and compelling. Karl’s richly sourced reporting provided his viewers with a sense of what he so accurately described as the “chaos and lawlessness striking at the heart of American democracy.” Karl was ahead of the curve, delivering in real time a detailed narrative that doesn’t hit one false note, even with a year’s perspective. His work on Jan. 6 defines “reporting under deadline pressure.”

See the winning story here

THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL NEWS COVERAGE BY VISUAL JOURNALISTS

Brendan Smialowski, Agence France-Presse

From the Judges: 

A quick glance at this photo might give the impression of a dull overall shot of men in dark suits. However, the Biden-Putin meeting in Geneva was a major story, and this image captured the underlying drama. Look closely. The body language and each game face tell the story. These summit photo ops are fast. In seconds, the handlers would be yelling “lights” and pushing the photographers out the door. Brendan Smialowski of Agence France-Presse had to read the room quickly and go for the one picture that told the story.  Smialowski did just that and captured a prize-winning photograph.

The winning photo

THE KATHARINE GRAHAM AWARD FOR COURAGE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Washington Post and media partners around the world

From the Judges:

The committee found the breadth and depth of the reporting and production of the Pandora Papers undertaken by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Washington Post and media partners around the world to be a major feat by itself, managing 600 journalists from 151 countries, working in a dozen languages with interpreters to analyze, verify and report on information from 11.9 million documents and produce a series of stories across a wide variety of media platforms.

And then there is the impact of the reporting, which exposed financial secrets of more than 330 current and former heads of state, and the U.S. role in the offshore system, led to electoral and legislative change around the globe, but also physical threats against and jailing of some journalists. The project underscored the strength of collaborative reporting and overcoming technological obstacles to produce powerful journalism.

Read the winning stories here:

1-Offshore havens and hidden riches of world leaders and billionaires exposed in unprecedented leak

2-Foreign money secretly floods U.S. tax havens. Some of it is tainted.

3-Global hunt for looted treasures leads to offshore trusts

4-When Latin America’s elite wanted to hide their wealth, they turned to this Panama firm

5-As a poisoned town sought justice, top chemical giant executive moved millions to tax havens

6-While his country struggles, Jordan’s King Abdullah secretly splurges

7-How America’s biggest law firm drives global wealth into tax havens

https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/baker-mckenzie-global-law-firm-offshore-tax-dodging/

8- Czech Prime Minister secretly bought lavish French Riviera estate using offshore companies

9 –As Catholic order fought sex abuse claims, secret trusts devoted to it poured millions into American rental properties

10 – How U.S. sanctions take a hidden toll on Russian oligarchs

11- Secret money, swanky real estate and a a Monte Carlo mystery, 

And some reaction stories:

“Pandora Papers investigation prompts new scrutiny of law firms’ role in offshore abuses”

“Lawmakers and regulators around the world take action in the wake of Pandora Papers”

“Pandora Papers caps off 2021 with consequences felt around the globe

Leading politicians, governments, and elites from all over the world have been roiled by the largest-ever ICIJ investigation, which changed the global conversation on tax havens and financial crime.”

Our Judges

We thank our judges, coordinated by Ellen Shearer. Medill Washington Bureau Chief, William F. Thomas Professor of Journalism and Co-Director of the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, Northwestern University.

Aldo Beckman Award Judges

Chair, Jim Kuhnhenn. Retired Associated Press White House and politics reporter; former Washington Press Club Foundation president.

Jesse J. Holland. Weekend host, C-SPAN Washington Journal, assistant professor, George Washington University School of Media & Public Affairs, former Washington Press Club Foundation President. 

Amy Eisman. Director of the Journalism Division, School of Communication at American University.

Deadline Award Judges

Chair, Steve Crane. Cronkite News/Arizona PBS, Arizona State University, Washington, D.C.

Peter Maer. Retired CBS News White House Correspondent. Five time recipient of the Merriman Smith Award for Presidential Coverage Under Deadline Pressure.

Frank Sesno. Frank Sesno. Professor and Director of Strategic Initiatives, George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs.

Visual Journalism Award Judges

Chair, Yanick Rice Lamb. Professor of journalism, Department of Media, Journalism and Film, Cathy Hughes School of Communications, Howard University and Director of the Howard University News Service.

Lynne Adrine is Director of the Washington Graduate Capstone program for the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Adrine also serves on the board of directors for Journal-isms, a news site dedicated to diversity issues in news media.  

Dennis Brack.  former President of the White House News Photographers Association

Katharine Graham Award Judges

Marty Kaiser. Kaiser was editor of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for 18 years after previously serving in top editing positions at the Baltimore Sun and Chicago Sun-Times. He is now director of the Capital News Service at the University of Maryland’s Merrill College of Journalism.

Jackie Jones. Dean and Professor of Journalism, Morgan State University, School of Global Journalism & Communication

Terence Hunt. Retired AP White House correspondent and deputy bureau chief.

The 2022 WHCA Journalism Awards.

The WHCA is proud to announce several prestigious professional journalism awards that highlight our colleagues’ significant accomplishments in the field.

The deadline for submissions is 5 pm EST, March 1, 2022.

The 2022 awards will be presented at the association’s annual dinner on Saturday, April 30.

THE ALDO BECKMAN AWARD FOR OVERALL EXCELLENCE IN WHITE HOUSE COVERAGE

This award recognizes a correspondent who personifies the journalistic excellence and personal qualities of Aldo Beckman, a former president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. The award carries a cash prize of $1,000.  

See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.

Submit Entries HERE.

THE WHCA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL NEWS COVERAGE UNDER DEADLINE PRESSURE 

The WHCA Award for excellence in presidential news coverage under deadline pressure is offered in two categories:  

• PRINT Newspaper, wire service, magazine  
• BROADCAST Radio and television  

See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.

Submit Entries HERE.

THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL NEWS COVERAGE BY VISUAL JOURNALISTS

The 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.

See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.

Submit Entries HERE. 

KATHARINE GRAHAM AWARD FOR COURAGE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The $10,000 award recognizes 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.

Judges will look for excellence in stories with fairness and objectivity in selecting a recipient, and special consideration will be given to reporting undertaken despite adversity.

See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.

Submit Entries HERE.

Please note: you MUST complete the online submission form and attach all of the stories and any supporting letters, by the deadline of 5 pm EST on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.  Please remember that news could happen on the deadline day – DO NOT wait until the last minute.

If you have any questions, please contact Executive Director Steve Thomma at the WHCA, at director@whca.press

The White House Correspondents’ Association is very happy to announce the creation of a new scholarship in partnership with the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications at Hampton University and supported by Reuters.

“Today’s White House correspondents take tremendous pride in helping to foster the development of the most promising journalists of tomorrow,” said WHCA president Steven Portnoy. “We are excited to watch the careers of Hampton’s WHCA scholars take flight, and grateful to Reuters for its partnership.”

“We’re inspired and excited about this annual scholarship to benefit our students, and our expanded relationship with the WHCA,” said Julia Wilson, dean of Hampton’s Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications. “This scholarship will help elevate Hampton’s stature and include our school among our nation’s top journalism schools. We plan to be not only the top Historically Black College and University journalism and communications school, but one of the best in the nation.” 

“Covering the diverse world in which we live requires a more diverse newsroom,” said Alessandra Galloni, Reuters editor-in-chief. “We’re delighted to extend the ‘Trust in Reporting’ scholarship to Hampton University to further this mission and to provide the next generation of journalists the opportunity to develop crucial skills both through formal education as well as hands-on training.”

Hampton becomes the 12^th university from across the country to partner with the WHCA to help promising young journalists, many of them the White House correspondents of the future.

The others are American University, Arizona State University, Columbia University, Howard University, Northwestern University, Ohio University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Kansas, the University of Maryland, the University of Missouri and University of Tennessee.

The WHCA also has scholarship partnerships with the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

And it honors an independently financed scholarship recipient from Iowa State University, in partnership with the White House Historical Association.

The “Truth in Reporting” scholarship at Hampton will go to a journalism student at the Scripps school, preferably with an interest in government and/or political reporting. The $7,000 annual grant is financed by Reuters. 

The student will be invited to a scholarship luncheon in the spring and to the annual WHCA dinner in Washington, scheduled this year for April 30. The student also will be paired for a year with a volunteer mentor from among the White House press corps.

For more information, contact Executive Director Steve Thomma at director@whca.press

About the WHCA

Founded in 1914, the White House Correspondents’ Association exists to promote excellence in journalism as well as journalism education, and to ensure robust news coverage of the president and the presidency. We support awards for some of the best political reporting of the past year, and scholarships for young reporters who carry our hopes for vibrant journalism in the years to come. Each day, we work to ensure that the men and women who cover the White House have the ability to seek answers from powerful officials, up to and including the President.

Our association comprises hundreds of members from the worlds of print, television, radio and online journalism. Their work, for outlets based in the United States and overseas, reaches a global audience.

About Hampton University

Hampton University is a private historically black research university, based in Hampton, Va.  It was founded in 1868, after the civil War, by Black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association, to provide education to freedmen. Hampton has one of world’s top stand-alone proton cancer treatment facilities and controls one of the nation’s foremost weather satellite systems.

About Reuters

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider. Founded in 1851, Reuters is committed to the Trust Principles of independence, integrity and freedom from bias. With unmatched coverage in over 16 languages, and reaching billions of people worldwide every day, it provides trusted intelligence that powers humans and machines to make smart decisions. Reuters supplies business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world’s media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.

The WHCA joins Vatican reporters in expressing our disappointment that the world won’t see live pictures of President Biden’s meeting with Pope Francis.

Reporters have been covering the papal audiences of American presidents since Woodrow Wilson sat with Benedict XV in January 1919. Most recently, members of our White House press corps helped bring the world pictures of Francis’s meetings with Presidents Obama and Trump.  

Our fully vaccinated and masked pool of reporters is ready to continue this public service, mindful of its own safety as well as the leaders’, to ensure independent coverage of the first Catholic president in 60 years meeting with the head of the Catholic church.

The White House told us the bilateral meeting would involve Biden and Francis discussing substantive matters of global significance “including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate crisis, and caring for the poor.” Such an international news event demands independent coverage.

-Steven Portnoy, WHCA President

Pursuant to Article VI, Section 2 of the WHCA bylaws, the WHCA Executive Board convened July 7 to break the tie in the race for the At-Large seat for the 2021-2024 term.

By a vote of 7-2, Kelly O’Donnell of NBC News has been elected, and pursuant to Article VII, Section 1(a) of the bylaws, is declared the winner of the race to be for the presidency 2023-2024 year.

WHCA Election Results – July 5, 2021

Here are the results of the 2021 WHCA elections. A total of 397 ballots were submitted.

RADIO SEAT 2021-2024

Karen Travers, ABC News                             374

Abstain                                                              19

Write-in                                                               4

(Steve Herman, Sagar Meghani, Franco Ordonez, Bricio Segovia – 1 each)

WIRE SEAT 2021-2024

Justin Sink, Bloomberg                                  364

Abstain                                                              24

Write-in                                                              9

(Steve Holland 5; Rob Crilly 1; Jeff Mason 1; Zeke Miller 1; Jennifer Jacobs 1)    

AT-LARGE SEAT 2021-2024

Anita Kumar, Politico                                     197

Kelly O’Donnell, NBC News                          197

Write-in                                                           0

Abstain                                                            3

**Pursuant to Article VII, Section 1(a) of the WHCA bylaws, a candidate for president must also win a seat on the WHCA board to fill that post.

This year’s vote for the At-Large seat resulted in a tie. Article VI, Section 2 states, “In the event of a tie for any vacancy or office, the outgoing Executive Board shall vote to break the tie.” The WHCA Executive Board will convene this week to resolve the tie vote for the At-Large seat and the 2023-2024 presidency.** 

PRESIDENT 2023-2024

Kelly O’Donnell, NBC News                         204

Anita Kumar, Politico                                   191

Write-in                                                           0

Abstain                                                            2

TO AMEND BYLAWS

Yes                                                                  333

No                                                                   20

Abstain                                                            44

The White House Correspondents’ Association is pleased to announce a new scholarship at the University of Tennessee.

The Carter Holland memorial scholarship will be in honor of the late Carter Holland, a promising young journalist and the son of Lucie and Steven Holland, a longtime White House correspondent for Reuters and a former president of the WHCA. Carter Holland died in 2020.

“The WHCA is excited to partner with the University of Tennessee to help support the next generation of promising young journalists like Carter Holland,” said Zeke Miller, president of the association.

The annual scholarship will be for $4,000, with the WHCA and the university each contributing half.

“The School of Journalism and Electronic Media at the University of Tennessee is truly grateful for this new scholarship from the White House Correspondents’ Association,” said Catherine Luther, Director of the school. “It will allow our students who are focusing on political and investigative reporting to have the invaluable experience of visiting Washington, D.C. and meeting with established professional journalists covering the White House. I am confident that this prestigious scholarship will serve to further inspire our journalism students to pursue impactful stories involving politics and democracy.”

With the new partnership with the University of Tennessee, the WHCA will now sponsor scholarships at 11 universities around the United States. The others are American University, Arizona State University, Columbia University, Howard University, Northwestern University, Ohio University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Kansas, the University of Maryland and the University of Missouri.

The WHCA also co-sponsors two additional scholarships in partnership with the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Since the association started helping journalism students in 1991, it has awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships, and leveraged another $1.25 million in aid.

The scholarships are financed by proceeds from the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner and tax-deductible contributions to the WHCA. 

Click here make a tax deductible donation in support of scholarships:

About the University of Tennessee

As part of the University of Tennessee’s land-grant mission, the School of Journalism and Electronic Media is committed to providing excellence in education to undergraduate and graduate students from diverse populations. Students are able to concentrate their studies in the areas of journalism, creative media productions, sports communication, or science communication. The school currently has around 400 undergraduate students and 30 graduate students. Many of its graduates have gone on to work for prominent media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, NBC Universal, ABC News, CNN, USA Today, and ESPN.

About the WHCA

The White House Correspondents’ Association exists to promote excellence in journalism as well as journalism education, and to ensure robust news coverage of the president and the presidency. We support awards for some of the best political reporting of the past year, and scholarships for young reporters who carry our hopes for vibrant journalism in the years to come. Each day, we work to ensure that the men and women who cover the White House have the ability to seek answers from powerful officials, up to and including the President.

For more information, contact Executive Director Steve Thomma at director@whca.press

Dear colleagues,

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidance on mask wearing for fully vaccinated individuals, citing the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. We can all agree that is an important step closer to returning to normal after 15 months of disruption.

Effective immediately, pursuant to the new CDC guidance, mask-wearing requirements are lifted at the White House complex for those who are 14 days after their last required dose of one of the COVID-19 shots.

The WHCA is working in earnest with the White House on a range of other changes to safely bring things closer to ‘normal’ for journalists on the complex. We anticipate being able to outline additional significant adjustments in the coming days. In the interim, all other current guidance remains in place.

Sincerely,

The WHCA Board

We regret to announce that we are unable to hold our annual dinner this year.

We have worked through any number of scenarios over the last several months, but to put it plainly: while improving rapidly, the COVID-19 landscape is just not at a place where we could make the necessary decisions to go ahead with such a large indoor event.

Dinner or not, we will spend the next few months celebrating and honoring the First Amendment, the remarkable journalism produced over the last year and the promising young reporters who will serve as the next generation in our ranks.

–We will soon announce our annual awards for the very best in presidential news coverage, not to mention the second annual Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability of national significance;

–In the coming weeks we’ll be announcing our latest cohort of WHCA Scholarship winners from around the country, a truly impressive group of up-and-coming journalists;

–We have planned a series of events to showcase the best of journalism, in part for those very students;

–And last but surely not least, we will do all this in person next year, with the WHCA annual dinner on April 30, 2022.

Our top priority remains ensuring that journalists can continue to safely work from the White House and fulfill their vital role in keeping the public informed. Expect information in the coming weeks about our annual membership town hall, at which we will outline plans to safely begin easing some virus-related restrictions.

-The White House Correspondents’ Association

The White House Correspondents’ Association is very happy to announce the creation of a new scholarship in partnership with the Asian American Journalists Association.

“We’re thrilled to be joining with the AAJA in this new partnership and excited about the chance to help not only a promising student, but to encourage and assist a whole new generation of  young journalists who represent the diversity of the country and increasingly the newsrooms of America,” said WHCA President Zeke Miller.

“We are honored and excited to launch this partnership alongside the WHCA,” said Michelle Lee, AAJA President. “Providing Asian American and Pacific Islander student journalists an opportunity to be mentored by an experienced AAJA member is core to our mission of building a pipeline of AAPI journalists and supporting students with scholarship assistance, guidance and a professional network.”

The new scholarship adds to partnerships the WHCA already has with 10 universities around the United States. They are American University, Arizona State University, Columbia University, Howard University, Northwestern University, Ohio University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Kansas, the University of Maryland and the University of Missouri.

It also has a scholarship partnership with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

And the WHCA honors an independently financed scholarship recipient from Iowa State University, in partnership with the White House Historical Association.

The new WHCA-AAJA scholarship will be for $2,000 each year, with the WHCA contributing half and the AAJA contributing half. The student also will be matched with a volunteer mentor from the White House press corps for a year.

Since the WHCA started helping students in 1991, it has awarded more than $1.4 million in scholarships and leveraged an additional $1.2 million in aid. Scholarships are financed by donations – anyone can help by donating here – and by proceeds from the association’s annual dinner.

For more information, contact Executive Director Steve Thomma at director@whca.press

About the WHCA

The White House Correspondents’ Association exists to promote excellence in journalism as well as journalism education, and to ensure robust news coverage of the president and the presidency. We support awards for some of the best political reporting of the past year, and scholarships for young reporters who carry our hopes for vibrant journalism in the years to come. Each day, we work to ensure that the men and women who cover the White House have the ability to seek answers from powerful officials, up to and including the President.

On Twitter @whca

Online at www.whca.press:

About AAJA 

The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is a membership nonprofit advancing diversity in newsrooms and ensuring fair and accurate coverage of communities of color. AAJA has more than 1,500 members across the United States and Asia. AAJA’s four-fold mission is to increase AAPI perspectives and representation in newsrooms, media, and storytelling. We do so by the following: 

• To provide a means of association and support among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) journalists, and to advance AAPI journalists as news managers and media executives.
• To provide encouragement, information, advice and scholarship assistance to AAPI students who aspire to professional journalism careers.
• To provide to the AAPI community an awareness of news media and an understanding of how to gain fair access.
• To research and point out when news media organizations stray from accuracy and fairness in the coverage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and AAPI issues.

On Twitter: @aaja 

Online at www.aaja.org