Some may excuse the president’s inflammatory rhetoric about the media, but just because the president does not like news coverage does not make it fake. A free press must be able to report on the good, the bad, the momentous and the mundane, without fear or favor. And a president preventing a free and independent press from covering the workings of our republic would be an unconscionable assault on the First Amendment.
-Margaret Talev, WHCA President
The 2018 WHCA scholars were hosted at the White House Friday April 27 by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Trump praised the group as “the future” of journalism, branding it a “great profession,” as they posed for a group photo at the South Portico of the White House.
The White House press pool was in attendance for the meeting.
The White House Correspondents’ Association and the University of Maryland are pleased to announce the creation of a unique new window into the world of the president and the press — a permanent and ongoing digital, searchable archive of presidential pool reports produced by White House correspondents.
The White House Correspondents’ Association Pool Reports Collection will be kept at the university and available online. It will consist of the reports written every day by members of the White House press corps on the activities of the president.
“This collection will be of invaluable help to scholars far and wide. A grand slam idea,” said Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University and CNN presidential historian.
The presidential pool reports are produced by journalists who are part of a small group that covers the president — in the White House, at events, in the motorcade and on Air Force One — when it is not possible for the entire press corps to be present. Their written pool reports are disseminated to the rest of the press corps, once on paper, now digitally.
“The WHCA release of pool reports provides a valuable window into presidential history,” said Robert Dallek, a presidential historian and biographer. “These are the kind of contemporary materials that are treasured by historians.”
“This collection of pool reports will be an essential tool to historians of modern American politics,” said Julian E. Zelizer, the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Zelizer is also a CNN political analyst and co-host of “Politics and Polls.”
“It will also provide an important, archivally based window into relationship between the presidents and the press, a subject that is gaining more attention in recent years,” he said.
The collection will be produced through a partnership including the WHCA, the University of Maryland — including the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, the University Libraries and the College of Information Studies — and the Newseum Institute.
“WHCA is proud to launch this historically significant project with our host, the University of Maryland,” said Margaret Talev, the president of the association and Senior White House Correspondent for Bloomberg. “We thank the many journalists, historians and academics at institutions throughout the country for their input in furnishing the raw work and the vision for how this resource can serve the public. It’s a massive undertaking and we welcome support from organizations and individuals that would like to get involved.”
The WHCA sought to create the collection as part of its mission to ensure a strong free press and robust coverage of the presidency. At the same time, the partnership will develop educational and scholarly programs and publications based on the collection and presidential access and coverage.
“The University of Maryland is honored to have the opportunity to steward this valuable archive and research tool, a unique record of the U.S. presidency,” said Lucy A. Dalglish, dean of the Merrill College. “We’re proud to make it available to the public and to scholars around the world.”
The collection will complement materials at the University of Maryland Libraries that document the history of radio and television broadcasting, including the Library of American Broadcasting and the National Public Broadcasting Archives.
“Archiving information and making it publicly available is not only essential to accessibility and transparency in current times, but also to the accuracy of how events are remembered in the future,” said Keith Marzullo, dean of the College of Information Studies.
Dalglish said a kickoff event is scheduled for Oct. 9 at the Newseum, where guests — including current and former White House correspondents — will be invited to celebrate the collection and share old pool reports in their possession, “whether they’re stored digitally or in boxes in basements.”
Work will begin this year and the archive is expected to be stood up over the next two years.
Gene Policinski, president and chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute, said the Newseum is honored to partner in preserving the reports.
“Journalism is known as a ‘first draft of history,’” Policinski said. “This WHCA material is literally the first drafts of such first drafts.”
About the WHCA:
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) represents the hundreds of journalists who cover the White House. Its mission is to ensure a strong free press and robust coverage of the presidency by advocating for access to the president, White House events and administration officials. We also work to encourage new generations of White House correspondents through our college scholarship program.
About the University of Maryland:
The University of Maryland, College Park is the state’s flagship university and one of the nation’s preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students, 10,000 faculty and staff, and 280 academic programs. Its faculty includes two Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 60 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.9 billion operating budget and secures $514 million annually in external research funding. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit http://www.umd.edu/.
About the Newseum Institute:
The Newseum Institute, headquartered in Washington, is the education and outreach partner of the Freedom Forum and the Newseum. The Institute includes the First Amendment Center, the Religious Freedom Center and NewseumED, an online learning platform for teachers and students. The Institute regularly hosts compelling programs that engage in the central debates of our time, including the role of a free press in a democracy, ongoing threats to journalists, and the significance of religious freedom in a pluralistic society.
April 5 2018
The White House Correspondents’ Association is pleased to announce that comedian Michelle Wolf will be the entertainer at the WHCA’s annual dinner on Saturday, April 28, 2018. Wolf is the host of a newly announced show on Netflix, which comes on the heels of her highly reviewed HBO special. She is also known for her acclaimed work as a contributor on Comedy Central’s Daily Show With Trevor Noah.
“I’m delighted to announce ‘Nice Lady’ Michelle Wolf as our featured entertainer this year,” said Margaret Talev, president of the WHCA. “Our dinner honors the First Amendment and strong, independent journalism. Her embrace of these values and her truth-to-power style make her a great friend to the WHCA. Her Pennsylvania roots, stints on Wall Street and in science and self-made, feminist edge make her the right voice now.”
Wolf most recently premiered her hour-long HBO special, “Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady” and Netflix recently announced that she will star in a new weekly half-hour comedy show later this year. Prior to that, Wolf worked as an on-air contributor and writer for The Daily Show With Trevor Noah on Comedy Central.
The Association, founded in 1914 to represent the White House press corps, works to maintain independent news media coverage of the president, advocating for access, handling logistics for pools of reporters who stay close to the president and those who travel with him, and providing scholarships to journalism students.
The annual dinner is traditionally attended by the President and First Lady as well as many other senior government officials and members of the press corps. Proceeds from the dinner support the association’s year-round work as well as scholarships for aspiring journalists and awards recognizing excellence in the profession.
Washington – George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs and the White House Correspondents’ Association will host a panel with White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, White House correspondents and academics. The event will be held at the Jack Morton Auditorium at GW beginning at 7 p.m. on Oct. 23.
The forum, “Trump’s First Year: Will Politics, Policy and the Presidency Ever be the Same?” will explore the Trump presidency from the front lines. What deals have been made? What deals were lost? How have contracts changed? What impact has the president had on government procurement? What are the legal repercussions of these changes? Will contract law ever be the same again? Has Mr. Trump kept his campaign promises? How can the policy that matters to millions of Americans be covered during the Twitter presidency?
The event will include an audience question-and-answer session. The panel will also discuss the unprecedented challenge of covering the White House in a new era of media distrust and political division. The marketing for this event can be assisted by this guide for political campaign SMS marketing success, to make sure everyone involved is reached out to. Social media plays an increasingly significant role in spreading political news and campaigns as well. To get their messages across, parties tend to utilize tweets, hashtags, comments, and live sessions. Occasionally, some parties might also prefer to buy comments on Instagram to gain more exposure during their political campaigns.
Who:
• Sarah Sanders, White House press secretary
• Olivier Knox, chief Washington correspondent, Yahoo! News; president-elect, White House Correspondents Association (2018-2019)
• John Roberts, chief White House correspondent, Fox News
• April Ryan, White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief, American Urban Radio Networks; CNN political correspondent
• Glenn Thrush, White House correspondent, the New York Times
• Sarah Binder, professor of political science, GW
• Frank Sesno, director, GW School of Media and Public Affairs (co-moderator)
• Margaret Talev, White House correspondent, Bloomberg News; CNN political analyst; president, White House Correspondents’ Association (co-moderator)
When:
Monday, Oct. 23, 2017; 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Where:
The George Washington University Media and Public Affairs Building
Jack Morton Auditorium (ground floor)
805 21st St., NW
Washington, D.C.
Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro (Blue, Orange and Silver lines)
Media Registration:
Media interested in attending must contact Jason Shevrin at jshevrin@gwu.edu or 202-994-5631. Media must RSVP by close of business on Friday, Oct. 20. Please indicate if you are requesting a camera position. Space is limited and confirmation from GW is required for media attendance.
Additional Information:
“We are living through an exceptionally challenging and important time in American politics and media. We will talk about the important issues of the day: from health care to immigration, from Texas to North Korea. We will also be discussing the latest trends in government procurement, trade, and contract law. This event is part of our school’s mission to generate open and rigorous discussions among government, media, academics and the public,” said Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at GW.”We are especially excited to host this event with such a well-respected institution that is on the front lines of these issues each day.”
“This event is an exciting opportunity to discuss core issues of press and democracy with an institution that is preparing the next generation of journalists and political communicators,” said Margaret Talev, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. “We are pleased to include our members in this open discussion.”
More information on this event is available at go.gwu.edu/yearoftrump. Follow the conversation on Twitter at the handle @SMPAGWU and hashtag #YearofTrump. The event will be broadcast live at go.gwu.edu/smpalive.
Media Contacts:
Jason Shevrin: jshevrin@gwu.edu, 202-994-5631
Maralee Csellar: csellar@gwu.edu, 202-994-7564
Yesterday on behalf of the WHCA I had a meeting with Sean Spicer and Sarah Sanders to discuss the issue of White House briefings. We had a long exchange of views about the subject, and each side expressed its thoughts and concerns about the current situation. The meeting was a follow-up to advocacy that board members and others have done over the last few weeks.
The WHCA’s position on this issue is clear: we believe strongly that Americans should be able to watch and listen to senior government officials face questions from an independent news media, in keeping with the principles of the First Amendment and the need for transparency at the highest levels of government.
As you all know, the WHCA Board represents a diverse set of interests inside the press corps, including journalists who need video and sound to tell Americans what the government is doing in their name. So it is also with that in mind that we have urged the White House not to replace on-camera briefings with “gaggles,” not-for-broadcast question and answer sessions. Though they are useful and can play an important role in informing the press and the public, gaggles are not a substitute for the open back-and-forth between reporters and administration officials that regular televised briefings allow.
Sean and Sarah agreed to consider these positions, and the Board will follow up with them in the coming days. We are not satisfied with the current state-of-play, and we will work hard to change it. In the meantime, I have asked that reporters be able to use audio from all gaggles going forward. We will keep you posted as developments occur.
White House briefings and press conferences provide substantive and symbolic opportunities for journalists to pose questions to officials at the highest levels of the U.S. government. That exercise, conducted in full view of our republic’s citizens, is clearly in line with the spirit of the First Amendment. Doing away with briefings would reduce accountability, transparency, and the opportunity for Americans to see that, in the U.S. system, no political figure is above being questioned. The White House Correspondents’ Association would object to any move that would threaten those constitutionally-protected principles.
The journalists of the White House Correspondents’ Association have been awarded DW’s 2017 Freedom of Speech Award. DW said the WHCA had established a new benchmark in holding US leadership accountable. Deutsche Welle announced the award Wednesday, saying the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) had maintained high standards in its reporting, despite facing allegations of “fake news” by the US president himself. “The White House Correspondents’ Association is a guarantor for the control of those in power,” DW Director General Peter Limbourg said. “We have complete trust in the democracy in the United States of America. This entails that we are reliant on a strong media.” READ MORE ON DW.COM
The White House Correspondents’ Association is pleased to announce its 2017 scholarship winners in partnership with Columbia University, the George Washington University, Howard University, Northwestern University, Ohio University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Maryland and the University of Missouri.
The 23 winners will be recognized at the association’s annual dinner on April 29.
“We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding scholarship winners, who represent the future of our profession and illustrate the importance of fighting for First Amendment freedoms,” said Jeff Mason, WHCA president and White House Correspondent for Reuters. “We look forward to celebrating them at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and watching them as they progress in their careers.”
The scholarship winners are:
Riham Alkousaa of Damascus, Syria, is the recipient of a $5,000 tuition grant.
She is a Palestinian Syrian journalist who most recently worked in Berlin for Cicero, a monthly German magazine. She was previously a fellow at ARA (Associated Reporters Abroad) and has been published in USA Today, Global Post, and Alfanar Media. Following graduation from Damascus University in 2012, Riham worked for several Arab and Syrian media outlets such as Sham FM, Barakabits, Aliqtisadi and the SOS Children’s Villages website. Riham earned a BA and a first Master’s Degree in media and mass communications at Damascus University. She is attending Columbia’s Journalism School for a second MA.
Teniola Ayomide Ayoola of Bowie, Maryland, is the recipient of a $2,500 scholarship as part of a partnership between WHCA and GW, where she is a senior in the School of Media and Public Affairs. She grew up in Lagos, Nigeria before moving to the United States. An interest in global news led to a year-long internship with the BBC News in Washington DC where she helped cover the 2016 election. She’s had a summer internship with the BBC Bureau in Lagos, Nigeria and participated in a short-term study abroad program on Globalization and the Media at the American University of Paris. She hopes to work with the Immigrant Justice Corps in New York.
It is not just Teniola who has moved to a different country to start a new career. Millions of people every year decide to make that big leap in immigrating to another country on a permanent basis, or just for a short amount of time. Before Teniola and her family moved from Lagos, Nigeria, they would’ve needed to apply for a visa that would allow them to start a new life in the United States. This visa is different from the L-1 Visa that you’d be required to get if you had to temporarily move to the United States of America for work commitments. It doesn’t matter where you come from, the opportunities are endless and you can achieve anything you want to, just like Teniola is in hoping to work in New York.
Anthony B. Brown, Jr., of Alexandria, Virginia, is the winner of the Harry S. McAlpin, Jr. Scholarship, a one-time award of $7,000. Brown, a junior, has experience in television, high fashion, celebrity interviews, photography, restaurant reviews and marketing. He has written for numerous publications, worked in public relations, volunteered in the area of educational counseling and worked at the Democratic National Convention. A docent at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Anthony also worked as a volunteer during the Flint water crisis.
Beryl C. Kessio of Harvest, Alabama, and Merdie Nzanga of Seattle, Washington, each are winners of a White House Correspondents’ Association scholarship with a one-time award of $7,000. Beryl Kessio was born in Kenya and moved to Alabama with her family when she was five. She has native proficiency in Swahili and is the recipient of multiple awards and honors. Beryl has worked as a staff writer at the Morocco World News in Rabat, as a mentor with young girls, advocated for student mental health programs and volunteered at Martha’s Table in DC. Merdie is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, gaining experience in research, writing, video editing, reporting and interviewing. Merdie is fluent in French, aspiring to be a foreign news correspondent. Merdie has visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo and hopes her work will help to dispel misconceptions about the African continent.
Northwestern University – Deborah Orin Scholarship
Nia Prater of Abington, Pennsylvania, and Maryam Salah of Tampa, Florida, are the winners of Deborah Orin Scholarship, named for the late White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief for the New York Post. Each will receive $5,000. Nia has reported on the 2017 inauguration, the Women’s March, and President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Upon graduation, Nia hopes to report on national politics. She is currently an intern at Roll Call, conducting research and writing short political articles for online publication. Maryam has reported on Syrian conflicts, Chicago’s Syrian refugee population and community perspectives on the 2016 political campaigns. She is currently based in the District of Columbia where her reporting focuses on immigration, national security and President Trump. She looks forward to a career as a long-form journalist.
Alejandro (Alex) Ortiz of Romeoville, Illinois, is the recipient of a $5,000 WHCA tuition grant toward a post-graduate degree in the government and public affairs reporting track. Alex is interested in social justice and investigative reporting. Alex graduated with High Honors in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, making the Dean’s List for four years. Alex has experience in sports broadcasting, reporting, editing, photography, video, and social media platforms. This knowledge in social media is very important to today’s age, as we live in a world where everything involving communication and marketing is done online. Everything is based on following- which Alex probably understands very well- and that is why companies like socialfollow exist, to give a follower boost to brands and people who need it. When it comes to diversifying content, he understands the importance of utilizing platforms such as YouTube to expand into where video content can be posted and consumed. To aid the popularity of YouTube channels and their uploads, many will look to the likes of Get Fans (youtube abonnenten kaufen) in order to boost figures and rankings and promote more organic growth. He earned a Public Relations Certificate and is the recipient of multiple academic scholarships, awards and grants.
Megan Henry of Toledo, Ohio; Catherine (Cat) Hofacker of Fremont, Ohio; and Marisa Fernandez of Canton, Ohio, are each the recipient of a $4,000 scholarship.
Since freshman year Megan has been a stringer or staff member of Ohio’s independent newspaper, The Post. Her peers voted her “Best Rookie of the Year” in 2014-15. This summer she will intern with the Columbus Dispatch. Megan is particularly interested in covering issues of higher education. Cat has worked for a variety of local media, including OU’s Compass and Ohio Today publications. She interned at The Athens NEWS, a twice-weekly newspaper in Athens, Ohio. She is now the editor-in-chief of the New Political, a student-run digital publication that covers campus, local, state and national politics. Marisa is now a senior writer and editor of the culture section of The Post. She was instrumental in helping create the Scripps Hispanic Network, a professional organization for Hispanic students in communications and journalism. This summer she will intern in New York at CBS. In the future, Marisa hopes to cover foreign affairs and tech news.
Sawsan Morrar of Sacramento, California, is the recipient of a $5,000 grant toward a post-graduate degree in the government and public affairs reporting track. Sawsan has been interested in public policy and its impact on diverse communities since covering the state capitol in Sacramento for the online publication, Capitol Weekly. She has since been a producer with Sacramento’s NPR affiliate, Capital Public Radio and is currently freelancing, reporting on local politics and legislation. She also hosts youth workshops aimed at correcting misrepresentations of Muslim-Americans in the media.
Becca King of Baltimore, Maryland, is representing the winners of the Frank Cormier scholarship, a $20,000 award that is divided among 4 students at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Becca is pursuing a double degree in broadcast journalism and government & politics. She works as a general production intern for WJLA-TV in Washington as well as production crew chief and director for Capitol News Service’s Maryland Newsline. Among several awards for her work, one from the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recognized a piece called “Growing Together” highlighting a local farm that employs adults with intellectual disabilities. Becca plans a career in broadcast news production.
The following graduate students are each recipients of $3,000 grant to study in Washington for a semester: Adam Aton of Alpharetta, Georgia; Jinghong Chen of Tianjin, China; Brittany Crocker of Knoxville, Tennessee; Ye Han (Jasmine) of Suzhou, China; Kasia Kovacs of Mountain Grove, Missouri; Molly Olmstead of Gulf Shores, Alabama; Jill Ornitz of Trumbull, Connecticut; Kouichi Shirayanagi of San Mateo, California; Francisco Vara-Orta of San Antonio, Texas; Xuejiao Wang of Qinhuangdao, China.
Adam Aton works at the DC bureau of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch where he covers Missouri and Illinois congressional delegations and the impact of national events on the St. Louis region. He has worked as a producer for the Global Journalist radio program and covered the European Parliament in Brussels. He worked as an assistant city editor at the Columbia Missourian and is a Missouri School of Journalism Walter Williams Scholar.
Jinghong Chen spent a semester in Washington with Al Jazeera English where she worked for a social media-oriented program called “The Stream.” She researched both national and international issues and helped cover the recent presidential election. She has previous experience working for the New York Times Chinese and Global Journalist.
Brittany Crocker participated in Missouri’s Washington program in the fall of 2016, working in the Investigative Reporting workshop of NPR member station WAMU. She investigated and reported on prosecutorial misconduct in the District of Columbia. She is now a reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel, part of the USA Today Network. Brittany has been a podcast host for NPR member station WUOT and reported on local government, crime and public safety for the Columbia Missourian.
Jasmine Han earned a Bachelor of Art degree in English from Sun Yat-sen University in China and a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri in 2016. She participated in Missouri’s Washington program last fall at the Investigative Reporting Workshop. Her work included data analysis and an investigative story about a state environmental agency. She has been an assistant data analyst at the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR) based at the Missouri School of Journalism. Jasmine is now a data journalist at Bloomberg BNA.
Kasia Kovacs is a reporter at the International Business Times in New York. She covers the labor beat, breaking news and Donald Trump. Kasia received her Master’s Degree in Journalism from Missouri this past December, emphasizing investigative reporting. She covered the Mizzou campus protests as a projects reporter for the Columbian Missourian and has written for Inside Higher Ed and the Kansas City Star.
Molly Olmstead expects to receive her Master’s Degree in Journalism from Missouri this May, majoring in magazine journalism. She participated in Missouri’s Washington program working at Slate Magazine, writing blog posts and assisting with various editorial tasks. While an undergrad at the University of Alabama and in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Molly wrote for several local newspapers and magazines.
Jill Ornitz is a DC-based public policy reporter who covers healthcare and financial policies. While participating in Missouri’s Washington program, Jill worked for the Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau where she covered the presidential election and handled digital production responsibilities. Her work also appeared in other Tronc newspapers including the Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun. She has also reported for ABC News and CBS St. Louis Radio, KMOX.
Kouichi Shirayanagi completed a Master’s Degree at the Missouri School of Journalism in December, following fall participation in Missouri’s Washington program as an intern at Reuters. He is now a reporter in New York for the commercial real estate portal Bisnow. Kouichi has also completed an internship with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Francisco Vara-Orta is presently in DC participating in Missouri’s Washington program, working at Education Week as a general assignment reporter on data and investigative projects. Francisco has 15 years’ prior experience in professional newsrooms and has published by the LA Times, Austin Business Journal, Houston Chronicle, Austin American-Statesman, San Antonio Express-News, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, Nieman Storyboard, Education Week and Investigative Reporters and Editors.
Xuejiao Wang earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Nanjing Tech University and a first Master’s Degree in International Journalism at the Communication University of China. She moved to the US in 2015. Xuejiao is in DC as part of Missouri’s Washington program where she works on a data-driven investigative project at the Investigative Reporting Workshop (IRW.) Her responsibilities include researching, data analysis, interviewing and data reporting.
For more information, contact Steve Thomma
steventhomma@whca.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The White House Correspondents’ Association is pleased to announce that Greg Jaffe of the Washington Post, Edward Isaac-Dovere of Politico, and David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post are the winners of our 2017 journalism awards.
The awards will be presented by journalism icons Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 29 at the Washington Hilton. “The WHCA congratulates our award winners and looks forward to honoring them at our annual dinner, which will be a celebration of the First Amendment and good journalism,” said Jeff Mason, WHCA president and White House Correspondent for Reuters. “No one is better suited to speak about the importance of a free and independent press than Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. We are delighted they accepted our invitation to present these prestigious awards.”
The WHCA represents the White House press corps in its dealings with the administration and advocates for journalists’ ability to see and report on the president and his staff. Here are the details of the awards:
Aldo Beckman Memorial Award Winner: Greg Jaffe of the Washington Post. Remarks from the judges: “Greg Jaffe of the Washington Post chronicled the waning days of the Obama presidency with stories focused on his speeches and policies that contrasted the realities of 2016 with the hopes of 2008. In reflecting on President Obama’s major themes, Jaffe struck an elegiac note. He showed how profound the political divide has become with the starkly different reactions of two Americans to Obama’s final State of the Union address. He probed the uneasiness lying beneath the administration’s drone program. Above all, Jaffe wrote about why a president’s words can have an enormous impact.” The prize, for presidential news coverage, recognizes a correspondent who personifies the journalistic excellence as well as the personal qualities exemplified by Aldo Beckman, the award-winning correspondent of the Chicago Tribune and former WHCA president. It includes an award of $1,000.
Merriman Smith Award for outstanding White House coverage under deadline
Print Winner: Edward-Isaac Dovere of Politico. There was no winner in broadcast journalism this year.
The judges found that Dovere’s March 21, 2016, coverage of the historic press conference of President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro demonstrated the importance of having reporters on the ground. His up-close narrative — the final posted 90 minutes after the conference wrapped — offered the context and insight that comes from knowing your material. Judges also appreciated the journalist’s wry take in a year when humor was appreciated. The award was conceived in memory of the late Merriman Smith of United Press International, a White House correspondent for more than 30 years and to promote the excellence he brought to his profession. It includes an award of $2,500.
Edgar A. Poe Award Winner: David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post. Remarks from the judges: “David Fahrenthold took the simple question of whether Donald Trump is the philanthropist he claims to be and told a story that showed more about the candidate’s character than any campaign debate or rallies could ever do. His work was steady, thorough and factual — and a display of investigative reporting at its best. His creative use of crowd-sourced information that he continued to gather made the story richer and showed the American people were paying attention.” The prize of $2,500 is funded by the WHCA and the New Orleans Times-Picayune honor of their distinguished correspondent Edgar A. Poe. Mr. Poe is a former WHCA president.
Honorable Mentions:
CBS’ 48 Hours
Remarks from the judges: “At a time when the American people were divided and raw over the gun debate, 48 Hours‘ ‘Bringing A Nation Together’ took on this polarizing subject and made headway in showing its audience a path forward. It was stunningly shot and produced and demonstrated that long-form television journalism is very much alive and important. It shows what television can do when time, focus and care are brought to bear on an emotional and searing issue and counters the narrative that the only thing media can do is divide and report through the most superficial of lenses.”
International Consortium of Journalists and Center for Public Integrity – Panama Papers
Remarks from the judges: “Breathtaking in its scope, this project set a standard for international journalistic cooperation. We can only hope that the future brings more efforts like this.”
CONTACT For more information, please contact Jeff Mason at jeff.mason@thomsonreuters.com.
Dear WHCA members,
I am pleased to share with you today that the White House Correspondents’ Association has hired a new executive director to succeed Julia Whiston, who is stepping down in May after two decades of stellar service. After conducting a nationwide search, fielding over 100 applications and conducting interviews with more than 10 candidates, we are happy to announce that Steve Thomma, former White House Correspondent and former Politics and Government Editor at McClatchy, will be taking over as executive director of the WHCA next month. Like Julie, Steve will report to the WHCA board and help us carry out our mission of pushing for press access at the White House, administering our student scholarship and mentorship program, and planning our annual dinner.
Steve is uniquely qualified for this role. Having served both as a board member and as board president, he is intimately familiar with the work of the White House press corps and our association. He is an award-winning journalist, having received the Gerald R. Ford Foundation’s Prize for Distinguished Reporting in 2010 and the Aldo Beckman Memorial Award in 2000. You would be hard-pressed to find someone more passionate about what we do.
Steve has a wealth of ideas about how to help the association move forward and is eager to support the board and our membership in as many ways as he can. He will start in the WHCA office this week, shadowing and assisting Julie as she helps to plan her final White House Correspondents’ Dinner as executive director. I will have more to say about her phenomenal contributions to the association in the coming weeks. For now, please join me in welcoming Steve to this role and let us know if you have any questions.
Dear members,
The White House informed the White House Correspondents’ Association this evening that White House staff will not be attending this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner out of “solidarity” with President Trump, who has previously announced that he would skip the event. The WHCA board regrets this decision very much. We have worked hard to build a constructive relationship with the Trump White House and believe strongly that this goal is possible even with the natural tension between the press and administrations that is a hallmark of a healthy republic. We made clear in our meeting tonight that President Trump, Vice President Pence, and White House staff continue to be welcome to join us at this dinner. Only the White House can speak to the signal it wants to send with this decision. But our signal is clear: We will celebrate the First Amendment on April 29 and look forward to acknowledging the important work of our terrific members and awarding scholarships to students who represent the next generation of our profession.
Best,
Jeff Mason, WHCA president