Journalists urge WHCA to defend freedom the press at dinner
Hundreds of journalists and eight press freedom groups are urging the White House Correspondents’ Association to forcefully defend freedom the press at Friday’s rescheduled dinner, which President Donald Trump plans to attend. They say administration attacks on the media have intensified since the April event was cut short by a shooting.
Key Takeaways
- About 520 journalists and eight press groups renewed a call for the WHCA to confront Trump from the podium.
- The rescheduled dinner is set for Friday at Washington’s Waldorf Astoria with tighter security after an April shooting.
- Signatories cite Justice Department subpoenas of New York Times reporters and threats to revoke broadcast licenses.
- WHCA President Weijia Jiang has framed the dinner as a celebration of the First Amendment.
The letter, organized by former ABC News correspondent Lisa Stark and producer Ian Cameron, expands on a similar appeal issued before the original April dinner. Signatories include Jim Acosta and Ann Curry, and the coalition says support has roughly doubled since then. Coverage of the push is also tracked in our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
What are journalists asking the WHCA to do?
According to AP News, the letter urges the association to “forcefully stand up for freedom of the press in front of the President,” publicly defend journalists under attack, and vow to resist efforts to undermine the First Amendment.
It argues it would be “hypocritical to celebrate the First Amendment in front of the man who relentlessly attacks it.” Signatories want a podium condemnation of administration actions and a pledge to fight attempts to weaken press protections.
Eight organizations signed on, including the Society of Professional Journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Press Photographers Association, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Coalition for Women in Journalism, the Radio Television Digital News Association, and the Media and Democracy Project.
Why was the White House Correspondents’ Dinner rescheduled?
The first dinner was cut short in April at the Washington Hilton after a gunman opened fire. Prosecutors say the attacker was trying to assassinate Trump. The smaller make-up event moves to the Waldorf Astoria—formerly the Trump International Hotel—with enhanced security and new access procedures.
Trump has said he will attend, calling the decision to proceed “a sign of Strength and Fortitude” on Truth Social. He has not confirmed whether he will deliver the same speech he planned in April, writing that he may or may not give the “rather nasty statements” aimed at “certain people.”
What press conflicts are fueling the renewed letter?
The letter says administration pressure has grown more “egregious” since April. It highlights Justice Department subpoenas of New York Times journalists who reported security concerns about a Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet, plus phone-record demands that reached a reporter’s mother and two spouses.
It also points to Trump’s threats to revoke licenses of broadcasters that refuse to “acquiesce to his demands,” including criticism of ABC and NBC after they declined to air a live primetime address. Signatories further cite an FCC inquiry into “The View” and repeated attacks on female journalists.
Stark told TheWrap via Yahoo News Canada that since the April cancellation, “President Trump has escalated his attacks on journalists and news organizations,” adding that “the WHCA cannot normalize this behavior.” Whether the association answers that call from the Friday podium remains the central test for freedom the press advocates watching the dinner.