| White House Correspondents' Association | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | WHCA |
| Formation | February 25, 1914 |
| Location | Washington, DC |
| President | Caren Bohan (Reuters) |
| Website | whca.net |
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 in 1914 by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor that a Congressional committee would select which journalists could attend press conferences of President Woodrow Wilson.[1] Among the issues handled by the WHCA are press access to the President and physical conditions in White House press briefing rooms.[2]
Contents |
The WHCA elects four officers and five board members from within its ranks once a year.
| Year | Name | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Edwin Chen | Bloomberg |
| 2008–09 | Jennifer Loven | Associated Press |
| 2007–08 | Ann Compton | ABC News |
| 2006–07 | Steve Scully | C-SPAN |
| 2005–06 | Mark Smith | Associated Press TV and Radio |
| 2004–05 | Ron Hutcheson | Knight Ridder |
| 2003–04 | Carl Cannon | National Journal |
| 2002–03 | Bob Deans | Cox Newspapers |
| 2001–02 | Steve Holland | Reuters |
| 2000–01 | Arlene Dillon | CBS News |
| 1999–2000 | Susan Page | USA Today |
| 1998–99 | Stewart Powell | Hearst Newspapers |
| 1997–98 | Laurence McQuillan | Reuters |
| 1996–97 | Terence Hunt | Associated Press |
| 1995–96 | Carl P. Leubsdorf | Dallas Morning News |
| 1994–95 | Kenneth T. Walsh | U.S. News and World Report |
| 1993–94 | George E. Condon Jr. | Copley News Service |
| 1992–93 | Karen Hosler | Baltimore Sun |
| 1991–92 | Charles Bierbauer | Cable News Network |
| 1990–91 | Robert M. Ellison | Sheridan Broadcasting |
| 1989–90 | Johanna Neuman | USA TODAY |
| 1988–89 | Jeremiah O'Leary | Washington Times |
| 1987–88 | Norman D. Sandler | United Press International |
| 1986–87 | Bill Plante | CBS News |
| 1985–86 | Gary F. Schuster | CBS News |
| 1984–85 | Sara Fritz | Los Angeles Times |
| 1983–84 | James R. Gerstenzang | Associated Press |
| 1982–83 | Thomas M. DeFrank | Newsweek |
| 1981–82 | Clifford Evans | RKO General Broadcasting |
| 1980–81 | Robert C. Pierpoint | CBS News |
| 1979–80 | Ralph Harris | Reuters |
| 1978–79 | Aldo Beckman | Chicago Tribune |
| 1977–78 | Paul F. Healy | New York Daily News |
| 1976–77 | Lawrence M. O'Rourke | Philadelphia Bulletin |
| 1975–76 | Helen Thomas | United Press International |
| 1974–75 | James Deakin | St. Louis Post-Dispatch |
| 1973–74 | Ted Knap | Scripps Howard Newspapers |
| 1972–73 | Edgar A. Poe | New Orleans Times-Picayune |
| 1971–72 | John P. Sutherland | U.S. News and World Report |
| 1970–71 | Peter Lisagor | Chicago Daily News |
| 1969–70 | Charles W. Bailey II | Minneapolis Tribune |
| 1968–69 | Carroll Kilpatrick | Washington Post |
| 1967–68 | Frank Cormier | Associated Press |
| 1966–67 | Robert E. Thompson | Hearst Newspapers |
| 1964–66 | Alan L. Otten | Wall Street Journal |
| 1963–64 | Merriman Smith | United Press International |
| 1962–63 | Robert Roth | Philadelphia Bulletin |
| 1961–62 | William H.Y. Knighton Jr. | Baltimore Sun |
| 1959–61 | Garnett D. Horner | Washington Star |
| 1958–59 | Marvin Arrowsmith | Associated Press |
| 1956–58 | Francis M. Stephenson | New York Daily News |
| 1955–56 | Laurence H. Burd | Chicago Tribune |
| 1954–55 | Anthony H. Leviero | New York Times |
| 1953–54 | Robert J. Donovan | New York Herald Tribune |
| 1950–53 | Carlton Kent | Chicago Sun-Times |
| 1949–50 | Robert G. Nixon | International News Service |
| 1948–49 | Ernest B. Vaccaro | Associated Press |
| 1947–48 | Felix Belair Jr. | New York Times |
| 1946–47 | Edward T. Folliard | Washington Post |
| 1945–46 | Joseph A. Fox | Washington Star |
| 1944–45 | Merriman Smith | United Press Associations |
| 1943–44 | Paul Wooten | New Orleans Times-Picayune |
| 1942–43 | Douglas B. Cornell | Associated Press |
| 1942 | John C. Henry | Washington Star |
| 1941–42 | John C. O'Brien | Philadelphia Inquirer |
| 1940–41 | Thomas F. Reynolds | United Press Associations |
| 1940 | Felix Belair Jr. | New York Times |
| 1938–40 | Earl Godwin | Washington Times |
| 1937–38 | Walter J. Trohan | Chicago Tribune |
| 1936–37 | Frederick J. Storm | United Press Associations |
| 1935–36 | Albert J. Warner | New York Herald Tribune |
| 1934–35 | Francis M. Stephenson | Associated Press |
| 1933–34 | George E. Durno | International News Service |
| 1931–33 | Paul R. Mallon | syndicated columnist |
| 1930–31 | Lewis Wood | New York Times |
| 1929–30 | Wilbur Forrest | New York Herald Tribune |
| 1928–29 | J. Russell Young | Washington Star |
| 1927–28 | John T. Lambert | Universal Service |
| 1926–27 | John Edwin Nevin | Washington Post |
| 1925–26 | George E. Durno | International News Service |
| 1924–25 | Isaac Gregg | New York Sun |
| 1923–24 | E. Ross Bartley | Associated Press |
| 1922–23 | J. Russell Young | Washington Star |
| 1921–22 | Frank R. Lamb | Washington Star |
| 1914–20 | W.W. Price | Washington Star |
The WHCA is responsible for assigning seating in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing of the White House.
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The WHCA's annual dinner, begun in 1920, has become a Washington, D.C. tradition and is usually attended by the President and Vice President.[1] Fifteen presidents have attended a WHCA dinner, beginning with Calvin Coolidge in 1924.[1] The dinner is traditionally held on the evening of the last Saturday in April at the Washington Hilton.
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."[1] In recent years the featured speaker has often been a comedian, with the dinner taking on the form of a roast, especially of the President.
In several recent years, the dinner has fallen shortly after major national events and tragedies, such as the Oklahoma City bombing (1995), the Siege at Waco, Texas (1993), the Columbine shooting (1999), and the Virginia Tech Massacre (2007), thus dampening the spirit of the event. The 2010 edition saw news of an attempted bombing in Times Square. The 2011 edition came on the heels of the deadliest tornado outbreak since 1925.[2]. However, this event was followed immediately by the announcement that the United States Military had killed Osama Bin Laden, and President Obama had even changed his own speech to reflect the operation, which he knew would soon be underway [4].
Awarded for outstanding examples of deadline reporting.
| Year | Recipient | Distinction | Employer | Notes & Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Gary Nurenberg | Broadcast | KTLA-Tribune Broadcasting | [5] |
| Jodi Enda | Knight-Ridder Newspapers | [5] | ||
| 2001 | Jim Angle | Broadcast | Fox News Channel | [6] |
| Sandra Sobieraj | Associated Press | [6] | ||
| 2002 | Peter Maer | Broadcast | CBS News | [7] |
| Ron Fournier | Associated Press | [7] | ||
| 2003 | Jim Angle | Broadcast | Fox News Channel | [8] |
| David Sanger | The New York Times | [8] | ||
| 2004 | Mike Allen | The Washington Post | [9] | |
| 2005 | Ron Fournier | Associated Press | [10] | |
| Jackie Calmes | Wall Street Journal | Honorable Mention [10] | ||
| 2006 | Terry Moran | Broadcast | ABC News | [11] |
| Deb Riechmann | Associated Press | [11] | ||
| 2007 | Martha Raddatz | Broadcast | ABC News | [12] |
| David Sanger | The New York Times | [12] |
Awarded for journalistic excellence.
| Year | Recipient | Employer | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Jeanne Cummings | Wall Street Journal | [5] |
| 2001 | Steve Thomma | Knight Ridder | [6] |
| 2002 | Anne E. Kornblut | The Boston Globe | [7] |
| 2003 | Dana Milbank | The Washington Post | [8] |
| 2004 | David Sanger | The New York Times | [9] |
| 2005 | Susan Page | USA Today | [10] |
| 2006 | Carl Cannon | National Journal | [11] |
| 2007 | Kenneth T. Walsh | U.S. News & World Report | [12] |
Awarded for excellence on a story of national or regional significance.
| Year | Recipient | Employer | Notes & Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Sam Roe | The Toledo Blade | [5] |
| 2001 | Elizabeth Marchak, Dave Davis and Joan Mazzolini | The Plain Dealer | [6] |
| John Barry and Evan Thomas | Newsweek | Honorable Mention [6] | |
| David Pace | Associated Press | Honorable Mention [6] | |
| 2002 | Evan Thomas and Mark Hosenball, & Martha Brant and Roy Gutman | Newsweek | [7] |
| Staff | The Seattle Times | Honorable Mention [7] | |
| Staff | The Dayton Daily News | Honorable Mention [7] | |
| 2003 | Sean Naylor | Army Times | [8] |
| Staff | South Florida Sun-Sentinel | Honorable Mention [8] | |
| Michael Berens | Chicago Tribune | Honorable Mention [8] | |
| 2004 | Russell Corollo and Mei-ling Hopgood | Dayton Daily News | [9] |
| Christopher H. Schmitt and Edward T. Pound | U.S. News & World Report | Honorable Mention [9] | |
| Michael Hudson | Southern Exposure Magazine | Honorable Mention [9] | |
| Warren P. Strobel and Jonathan S. Landy | Knight Ridder | Honorable Mention [9] | |
| Rod Nordland and Michael Hirsh | Newsweek | Honorable Mention [9] | |
| Sami Yousafzai, Ron Moreau, and Michael Hirsh | Newsweek | Honorable Mention [9] | |
| Fareed Zakaria | Newsweek | Honorable Mention [9] | |
| 2005 | Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams | The San Francisco Chronicle | [10] |
| Donald Bartlett and James Steele | Time Magazine | Honorable Mention [10] | |
| 2006 | Marcus Stern and Jerry Kammer | Copley News Service | [11] |
| Staff | Time Magazine | Honorable Mention [11] | |
| Russell Carollo and Larry Kaplow | Dayton Daily News | Honorable Mention [11] | |
| 2007 | Joan Ryan | The San Francisco Chronicle | [12] |
| 2008 | Paul Shukovsky, Tracy Johnson, and Daniel Lathrop | Seattle Post-Intelligencer | [13] |
| 2009 | Sandra Sobieraj Westfall | People magazine | [14] |
| David Greene | National Public Radio | [14] | |
| 2010 | Suzanne Bohan and Sandy Kleffman | Contra Costa, California, Times | [15] |
The WHCD has been increasingly criticized as an example of the coziness between the White House press corps and the Administration.[16] The dinner typically includes a skit, either live or videotaped, by the sitting President in which he mocks himself, for the amusement of the press corps.[16] The press corps, in turn, hobnobs with Administration officials, even those who are unpopular and are not regularly cooperative with the press.[16] Increasing scrutiny by bloggers has contributed to added public focus on this friendliness.[16]
After the 2007 dinner, New York Times columnist Frank Rich implied that the Times will no longer participate in the dinners.[17] Rich said that the event is "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."[17]
In recent years, the dinners have drawn increasing public attention each year as the entertainers draw more interest, and the guest list grows "more Hollywood".[2] 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."[2] This has led to an atmosphere of coming the event only to "see and be seen."[2] 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.[18][19][20][21][22]
On April 13, 2010, WorldNetDaily reported that a "...lawsuit has been filed in Washington accusing the White House Correspondents' Association..." of allegedly failing to designate appropriate 2010 dinner seating accommodations as per an alleged prior arrangement with WorldNetDaily.[23][24][25]
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 1945 | Performers included Frank Sinatra, Danny Thomas, Jimmy Durante, Fanny Brice and Danny Kaye. |
| 1969 | President Richard Nixon personally requested the Disneyland Golden Horseshoe Revue. |
| 1976 | The dinner featured Bob Hope as emcee and Chevy Chase.[26] When President Ford rose to speak, he caught a tablecloth in his trousers, causing silverware to fall in Chase's lap. He also pretended to trip as he approached the podium, flinging pages he was carrying into the audience—he then began his speech with "Good evening. I'm Gerald Ford and you're not" (a reference to Chase's catchphrase from Weekend Update).[26] |
| 1985 | Rich Little and President Ronald Reagan in a dual press conference skit. |
| 1988 | Yakov Smirnoff[27] |
| 1989 | Jim Morris (Impressionist)[28] |
| 1991 | Sinbad [29] |
| 1993 | Elayne Boosler |
| 1994 | Al Franken |
| 1995 | Conan O'Brien |
| 1996 | Al Franken |
| 1997 | Jon Stewart[30] |
| 1998 | Ray Romano |
| 1999 | Aretha Franklin, entertainment (NBC's Brian Williams in skit) |
| 2000 | Outgoing President Bill Clinton 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 as his character Stuart. |
| 2001 | Darrell Hammond and Survivor spoof |
| 2002 | Drew Carey |
| 2003 | Ray Charles, entertainment |
| 2004 | Jay Leno |
| 2005 | Cedric the Entertainer, Lewis Black, plus some jokes by First Lady Laura Bush. |
| 2006 |
The 2006 dinner attracted substantial media attention due to featured speaker Stephen Colbert's satire of a right-wing cable television pundit.[31] Several of 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." [32] |
| 2007 | The 2007 dinner took place on April 21, 2007. Entertainment was provided by impersonator Rich Little, with David Letterman appearing by video with a Top 10 list of "favorite George W. Bush moments."[33] |
| 2008 | The performer in 2008 was Scottish-American comedian Craig Ferguson, host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. |
| 2009 | The 2009 WHCA Dinner took place on May 9 at the Washington Hilton. Wanda Sykes was the featured entertainer. |
| 2010 | Jay Leno hosted the 2010 dinner on May 2.[34] The choice of Leno was somewhat controversial in light of the recent Tonight Show conflict that propelled Leno back to his old show. However, he was asked to host several weeks before The Jay Leno Show was cancelled.[35] Leno's usage of recycled jokes was noted by critics.[36] |
| 2011 | The 2011 WHCA took place on April 30 at the Washington Hilton. Seth Meyers was the featured entertainer, and highlights included his own and President Barack Obama's jokes mocking Donald Trump (who was present at the dinner) about his remarks questioning Obama's citizenship and Trump's presidential candidacy in 2012,[37] as well as a joke about where Osama Bin Laden had been hiding, one day before Bin Laden was killed.[38] |