#WHCInsider

Behind the scenes of one of the most powerful clubs in America.

ABC’s Jonathan Karl Elected as White House Correspondents Association President for 2019-2020 Term

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Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

The White House Correspondents Association announced Jonathan Karl of ABC News has been elected president of the organization for 2019-2020.

Currently chief White House correspondent for ABC News, Karl has also covered Congress and the Pentagon in his career. He began working for ABC in 2003 reporting from the State Department.

Karl received 104 votes out of 265 cast in the election for leadership of the White House Correspondents Association. Dallas Morning News’ Todd Gillman came in second with 87 votes.

In addition to being chosen as president of the organization, Karl was also appointed to a three-year term as an at-large board of directors member. Gillman was also named to the board as newspaper representative. Additionally, the New York Times’ Doug Mills was chosen to fill the photography seat on the board.

White House Correspondents Association Weighs Membership Rule Change

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

The White House Correspondents Association is considering a proposed change to its bylaws, requiring “regular members” of the organization to be credentialed through or work for an organization recognized by the Congressional Standing Committee.

Organization president and Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason suggested the reason for the change is that the Congressional Standing Committee is the “gold standard” for credentialing in the nation’s capital.

The White House Correspondents Association does not issue credentials itself. The mission of the organization is to advocate for freedom of the press, access to the White House and provides scholarships for exceptional journalism students.

Six journalists are circulating a letter opposing the rules change, including liberal commentator Bill Press, longtime independent correspondent Connie Lawn, and reporters for Newsmax, Circa and The Daily Signal. Charlie Spiering, White House correspondent for Breitbart, wrote in the letter that:

“The WHCA Board has in most cases done a great job in advocating for journalists’ access, and showing respect to all members. The proposed bylaws change regarding membership is an unfortunate exception. That’s because the bylaws change would mean some members and hard pass holders who regularly cover the White House will not have full participation in the organization that is supposed to represent them regarding access among other things.”

Breitbart was denied congressional press passes earlier this year, meaning reporters for the conservative news outlet would be eligible for associate membership, but not full membership in the White House Correspondents Association. The Congressional Standing Committee rejected Breitbart’s press passes over concerns about its ties to the Mercer family, who are Republican benefactors, and to the Government Accountability Institute, a nonprofit co-founded by former Breitbart chairman and White House strategist Steve Bannon.

Members of the White House Correspondents Association have until Friday to vote on the change to bylaws.

High School Journalist Lands Interview with Defense Secretary James Mattis

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Mercer Island High School. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

Teddy Fischer, a student at Mercer Island High School in Washington state about to enter his junior year, snagged an exclusive 45-minute phone interview during the Memorial Day weekend with Defense Secretary James Mattis.

Having discovered a photo published by the Washington Post where the cabinet official’s phone number was visible, Fischer sent Mattis a text message.

“I never really thought it would work,” Fischer told Seattle’s KING5.  After sending a message to the number he found stating he was a student working for his school newspaper and a native of Washington state, the defense secretary called back and agreed to a phone interview.  Secretary Mattis is also from Washington state.

After preparing with his teacher and editor on questions, Fischer conducted an insightful, thorough discussion with Mattis, covering topics such as national politics, foreign policy, and issues facing teenagers today.  Fischer also said he learned an important lesson beyond public affairs.

“It never hurts to ask anybody anything,” he said.  “Even if they seem like they’re a distant figure, even if they seem like a powerful figure.  There’s a human side to politics and people are much more approachable than you think.”

White House Asked White House Correspondents’ Association to Publicly Rebuke Reporter

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James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. Photo courtesy White House.

White House Correspondents’ Association president Jeff Mason said the White House had requested the association to criticize a specific article and publicly rebuke a particular journalist. Mason made his remarks during a town hall-style meeting where members asked questions of the association board.

“The White House has come to ask me specifically, asking me to intervene or criticize a news organization or a reporter… to release a statement criticizing a reporter’s story. We’ve made clear that’s not our role,” Mason said, without clarifying on when the White House made this request or which article or journalist was involved.

In a follow up after the meeting, Mason elaborated that he thought the White House considered it a role of the association to publicly reprimand its members to hold them accountable.

“I think it’s a reflection of frustration they have with the media and they’ve used the relationship with the board sometimes to take that out, just as we have raised our concern and frustrations with them. Part of that relationship has been drawing boundaries on what we do and don’t do,” Mason stated.

He said the association immediately declined the White House’s request when they asked him to release a statement on the matter.

Megyn Kelly to Host New NBC News Show in September

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NBC International Information Bureau. Photo courtesy Jeff Maurone via Flickr.

Megyn Kelly will host a new hour-long morning segment starting September 25, broadcast in front of a live studio audience, NBC News has confirmed.

Compared to other morning news programs taking place primarily on a set with no substantial live viewership, NBC News is hoping Kelly’s upcoming program and its unique format will add a fresh perspective to the network’s array of news shows.

Today show senior producer Jackie Levin has been named executive producer of this hour-long live segment.  Levin has been called

“…one of the most talented and hardest-working producers in television news.  Her intimate knowledge of the brand will be invaluable as we launch Megyn’s show under the Today umbrella,” NBC News president Noah Oppenheim wrote in an email to staffers.

The show will be sandwiched between portions of the Today show, and premiers during NBC’s launch of its prime time schedule this fall.

Maine Governor Paul LePage Admits He Lies to Media

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Ogunquit, Maine.  Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Paul LePage, conservative Republican governor of Maine first elected in 2010, has always had a confrontational relationship with many in his state, including the media.

Recently, LePage lashed out when stories emerged in state papers and online that he was planning to take a vacation during a recent state budget impasse.  The governor characterized the state media as “vile,” “useless” and “inaccurate” in reporting the story.

State media reported the governor’s plans based off sources throughout state government, including Republican Senate President Michael Thibodeau and Sen. Roger Katz, whom both said on the record that LePage told them he was planning to leave the state.

LePage replied through a spokesman the story was “fake news.”

In an interview with WGAN-AM Thursday, LePage stated:

“I just love to sit in my office and make up ways so they’ll write these stupid stories, because they are just so stupid.  It’s awful.”

LePage later repeated his disdain for the press, saying “the sooner the print press goes away, the better society will be.”

Survey Finds Republicans Trust Trump, Democrats Trust CNN

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

A new survey released by SurveyMonkey suggests that 89% of Republicans see President Donald Trump as more trustworthy as CNN, while 91% of Democrats hold the opposite opinion.  Independent voters are more split, with 55% choosing CNN, compared to the 40% that trust Trump more.

While the survey also shows that 64% of all adults disapprove of Trump’s use of Twitter, Jon Cohen, senior vice president of survey research at SurveyMonkey, said that:

“A red flag for Democrats continues to be a perception that Trump is isolating himself from the GOP base with his tweets.  Not only do most Republicans approve of his use of Twitter, but asked to describe those tweets, the No. 1 mention among the GOP is ‘truthful,’ with ‘entertaining’ in second place.”

Survey results also noted a danger for Republicans remaining content ignoring media outlets not frequented by their base.  Fully one-third of Republican respondents said they only get their news from Fox News.  Cohen explained further that:

“…the biggest danger for Republicans is that they grow content with firing up the base: Fully three-quarters of pure independents (those that don’t lean one way or the other) disapprove of Trump’s tweeting, and their top three descriptions for it are ‘undignified,’ ‘mean,’ and ‘dishonest.’”

SurveyMonkey conducted their poll online between June 29 and July 3, with a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent.  4,965 adults participated in the survey.

Conservative Media Outlets Get Seats in White House Briefing Room

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James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. Photo courtesy White House.

The seating chart in the White House briefing room has been updated, with changes including adding conservative media outlets Newsmax and One America News Network (OAN).

In an email to members, White House Correspondents Association president Jeff Mason announced that

“…the board considered multiple criteria during this decision-making process, including regular briefing attendance and commitment to the White House beat.  We also looked at news outlets’ audiences, both in terms of reach and in terms of preserving (or in some cases adding) diversity in the briefing room. We took stock of the changing landscape of our industry. Weighing these and other factors, we worked through what is always a difficult process affecting news outlets, colleagues and friends.”

Newsmax will now have its own seat in the center of the sixth row.  Correspondent John Gizzi has been present at most briefings and called upon frequently.   OAN will now share a seat with the BBC in the seventh row, as former seat-mate The Boston Globe shifts over to now join CQ Roll Call in their chair.

Other changes in the seating chart include a swap between AP Radio and USA Today.  USA Today will now be in the second row, with AP Radio taking the seat in the third row.  MSNBC and the foreign pool will trade places in the fourth row, while Christian Science Monitor moves up a row to share a seat in the fifth row with the New York Post, freeing up a seat for The Daily Mail.

The White House Correspondents’ Association, not the White House itself, determines the seating chart in the briefing room.

Greta Van Susteren Leaves MSNBC

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Greta Van Susteren at the 2017 Garden Brunch. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

Legendary news host Greta Van Susteren has parted ways with cable news channel MSNBC.

According to Vanity Fair, Van Susteren will not be on the air Thursday; instead the time slot will be hosted by Ari Melber.