NEW YORK (AP) – Seemingly unexpected President Donald Trump’s presence at an event that celebrates the press has sparked renewed interest in the White House Correspondents Association dinner, an annual event on Washington’s social calendar this weekend.
Amidst individually scolding reporters, battling media organizations like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Associated Press in court, and limiting press access to the Pentagon, the administration’s hostility towards journalists has been a prominent feature of Trump’s presidency.
This adds another layer of complexity to the so-called “nerd prom,” a nickname given to the sight of journalists dressed in tuxedos. Some individuals are already feeling uneasy about journalists socializing and laughing with the subjects they regularly cover.
Lisa Stark, a former ABC News reporter, commented, “This is a crucial moment for these dinners and it will be interesting to see what unfolds in the future.”
Petition urges journalists to “speak assertively” on freedom of the press
Stark and longtime colleague Ian Cameron have circulated a petition encouraging journalists attending Saturday’s event to “speak assertively” to defend press freedom, particularly with Trump in attendance. Renowned journalists like Dan Rather and former ABC White House reporter Sam Donaldson have endorsed the petition along with over 350 former journalists. Suggestions have been made about a visible protest, such as wearing lapel pins highlighting the First Amendment.
In 1924, Calvin Coolidge became the first president to attend the dinner. Recent presidents have made appearances, prompting them to appear as good sports as comedians like Stephen Colbert, Colin Jost, and Trevor Noah poke fun at them. Trump attended in 2011, visibly reacting from the audience to President Barack Obama’s jokes about him. However, this year will mark his first attendance as president.
Kelly McBride, NPR ombudsman and head of the Poynter Institute’s ethics and leadership center, expressed, “The only thing more insulting for the press than Trump not attending is Trump showing up.”
Former Associated Press White House reporter Ron Fournier echoed similar sentiments on Substack, criticizing the press for dining with a man who ridicules, sues, and targets them for prosecution. The top editor at HuffPost announced that their journalists would not attend the event as a form of protest.
Weijia Jiang, president of the WHCA and CBS News correspondent, did not offer immediate comment. Todd Gilman, a former White House bureau chief for the Dallas Morning News and current journalism professor at Arizona State University, suggested that it is not the press’ responsibility to make news by snubbing Trump, as the president will make headlines regardless of his presence at the event.
There is a misconception, Gilman argued, that the correspondents are honoring Trump by inviting him to the dinner.
Some possible uncomfortable moments
Meanwhile, CBS owners Paramount are reportedly hosting a dinner on Thursday to honor Trump at the Institute of Peace, renamed for Trump last year. Paramount is waiting for government approval for its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
If he chooses to stay at the correspondents dinner on Saturday, the president will face awkward moments as the WHCD bestows awards upon journalists he has criticized, such as CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. The Wall Street Journal is being honored for its coverage of Trump’s birthday message to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – a story which the president sued the newspaper over. The AP, currently in legal battles with Trump over access, is also being honored.
The issue of partying with the president and his staff is not new. The New York Times ceased attending the event in 2011 for this reason. The Atlantic magazine previously discussed the gradual decline of the correspondents dinner in 2018.
McBride highlighted the significance of acknowledging that “a red-carpet networking event with influential sources was never a good idea.” News organizations will come under scrutiny this weekend for hosting administration officials as guests, such as CBS News reportedly inviting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Many journalists who have attended the dinner argue that the opportunity for personal interactions with their subjects can benefit their work in the future. Gilman has invited Mexican ambassadors as guests – a crucial contact for a reporter at a Texas newspaper. NPR journalist Eric Deggans recounted securing an interview with media mogul Byron Allen after establishing a connection at the WHCD dinner.
Gilman noted, “Even if you’re not seated with an administration official, you can approach someone, introduce yourself, break the ice, and exchange business cards. Putting a face to the name might encourage them to return your call in the future.”
___ David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
