White House Correspondents Insider

The News Media Alliance and a number of leading news media organizations, including the Public Broadcasting Service, National Association of Broadcasters, and the National Press Photography Association, sent a letter to the committee in charge of advising the CDC on COVID-19 vaccine distribution to request that front-line journalists be included among the early phases of vaccine deployment, reports Radio Online.

The news organizations were careful to acknowledge that healthcare workers, first responders, and the most at-risk populations should be prioritized for vaccine distribution. However, the letter also urges the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to consider the essential role journalists play in “educating Americans about the importance of vaccination, as well as aiding in the monumental task of informing the public about the logistics of the vaccine’s dispersal around the country.”

The letter pointed out that front-line journalists are regularly at risk of contracting COVID-19 while they are covering the plights of healthcare workers and patients, as well as rallies, protests and public events.

“To continue providing these critical services,” the letter reads, “journalists cannot simply work from home, but must interact with government officials and the public to report on the stories that matter, regardless of the risks they must assume. Despite efforts to protect themselves and the public, members of the media are necessarily exposed to the COVID-19 virus while doing their jobs and serving as ‘first informers’ in local communities across the country.”

The National Press Photography Association filed a similar request, separately, pointing out that visual journalists were particularly vulnerable due to the requirements of their work, reports the Poynter Institute. NPPA’s legal counsel, Mickey Osterreicher, demands “that journalists who have direct contact with the public on a regular basis, and particularly visual journalists, be expressly included in the phase of the COVID-19 vaccine that includes the essential and critical infrastructure workforce.”

Osterreicher argues that, “Visual journalists cannot work from home, and have put their health and lives at risk on a daily basis to cover both the COVID-19 pandemic and other matters of public concern, including matters critical to the health and safety of the public and critical to our democracy. These journalists must work in the conditions they find — regardless of the risk.”

The full list of signatories include the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the News Media Alliance (NMA), the America’s Public Television Stations (APTS), the Asian Americans Journalists Association (AAJA), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), the National Newspaper Association (NNA), the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA), the News Leaders Association (NLA), NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) and Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ).

Donald Trump’s climatic final year as president has inspired two new books from Washington Post reporters Robert Costa, Bob Woodward, Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, reports Politico and Axios.

Robert Costa has joined Bob Woodward as co-author for a new book about Trump’s final days in the White House and the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency soon to follow. This will be Bob Woodward’s 21st book, all with Simon & Schuster, and co-author, Washington Post National political reporter Robert Costa’s first. This is only the second time Woodward has added a co-author.

“We’re two pure reporters — what happened and why — and this is a perfect landscape for that kind of work,” Woodward told Axios reporter Mike Allen. Robert Costa will remain a national political reporter for Washington Post, on leave, as he is expected to focus primarily on the book during the coming year. 

Costa is also the host of Washington Week on PBS. In his three years hosting, he has managed to double the show’s ratings.

Announced on the same day, Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker will be working on a follow-up to their number one New York Times Best Seller, “A Very Stable Genius,” named after President Trump’s own self-aggrandizing quote.

“I’m teaming up again with Carol Leonnig to write a book about President Trump’s final year in office,” said Philip Rucker over Twitter. “We’ll pick up where we left off with ‘A Very Stable Genius.’ I’m thrilled to be working again with the great Ann Godoff and the all-stars at Penguin Press!”

These two books will add to a growing list of titles exploring the era of Trump’s presidency. As Washington Post nonfiction book critic and author of the book on Trump books Carlos Lozada observed in a recent essay, “One of the ironies of our time is that a man who rarely reads has inspired an onslaught of book-length writing about his presidency.”

According to The Hill, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman also announced last month that she would also be working on a new book on Trump’s final months in the office of the President.

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have announced the Senior Leadership Team of their Presidential Inaugural Committee in preparation for their swearing-in ceremony on January 20th, reports Politico.

According to the press release, the Biden team has named Delaware State University President Tony Allen to be CEO of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Biden-Harris campaign senior staffers Maju Varghese and Erin Wilson also secured leadership positions along with Nevada State Senator Yvanna Cancela, who was one of Biden’s earliest supporters.

A stage for the event being built on the West Front of the Capitol can accommodate up to 1,600 spectators, and the National Mall is prepared for much more. However, faced with an ongoing pandemic, one can expect smaller crowds and social distancing at the event, writes the New York Times. 

“This year’s inauguration will look different amid the pandemic,” said Allen. “But we will honor the American inaugural traditions and engage Americans across the country while keeping everybody healthy and safe.”

Incoming Chief of Staff Ron Klain echoed this sentiment, suggesting that virtual inauguration might be the best practice.

“You know, we ran a very effective and I think engaging Democratic convention this year in August, in a way that was safe for the people to participate and watch it, in a way that communicates with the American people,” Klain said.

The Inaugural Committee has begun accepting donations; up to $500,000 from individuals and up to $1 million from corporations. However, according to CNBC, the committee has banned donations from lobbyists and “fossil fuel companies (i.e., companies whose primary business is the extraction, processing, distribution or sale of oil, gas, or coal), their executives, or from PACs organized by them.”

The ban on donations from fossil fuel companies is a continuation of the Biden-Harris Campaign rules against accepting donations from registered lobbyists, foreign agents, and anything over $200 from fossil fuel company employees.

For more information on President-elect Joe Biden’s swearing-in ceremony, you can go to BidenInaugural.org or follow @BidenInaugural on Twitter.

Craig Newmark Philanthropies announced a $3 million grant to the Bob Woodruff Foundation in support of an initiative to help feed veterans across America.

According to their joint press release, the Bob Woodruff Foundation is responding to exacerbated food insecurity caused by the pandemic, which has left food banks in a difficult position to serve those who have served us. 

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Americans are experiencing financial strain and food insecurity, which has led to food banks facing a perpetual, diminishing food supply,” said the press release. 

“In the near-term to address this urgent need,” the press release continued, “BWF is providing stimulus funding to tackle hunger and food insecurity among the veteran population, while continuing to build a sustainable plan of action to support veterans and their families in the long-term.”

“Veterans sacrifice so much through their service – when they come back home, it’s simply not right that they have trouble getting enough to eat,” said philanthropist and founder of craigslist Craig Newmark. “We want our veterans to know their fellow Americans have ‘got your 6’, to borrow a military expression. That’s why I am investing in the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s efforts to tackle this issue and help our military heroes and their families thrive through this pandemic and into the future.” Craig Newmark also serves on the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s board of directors.

The Bob Woodruff Foundation cites statistics that show that the food insecurity rate among veterans is nearly twice that of the general U.S. population, and pointed out that this was a problem that has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus.

“We knew food insecurity was a growing concern based on our research combined with insights from our grantees and Local Partners on the ground in communities across the country,” said Anne Marie Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “Over a quarter of our 2020 grantees are already addressing this issue directly or indirectly. With Craig Newmark’s incredibly generous support, the Bob Woodruff Foundation will be able to expand our critical support for veterans struggling to put food on the table during this difficult time.”

And, for those veterans who are looking for support in time for the holidays, the Bob Woodruff Foundation is also coordinating with the NYC Department of Veteran Services to donate 400 frozen turkeys in time for a Thanksgiving celebration.

As major networks competed for top ratings on their election coverage, CNN managed to secure the largest total number of viewers for the week, reports the Associated Press.

CNN boasted an average of 5.9 million viewers each day of the week of the election, putting them just ahead of Fox News Channel’s 5.7 million-viewer average. Fox News did manage to surpass CNN on Tuesday when voters were heading to the polls with 14.1 million viewers, compared to CNN’s 9.4 million.

MSNBC came close in third with 7.6 million on Election Day and a 4.6 million-viewer average across the week. Broadcast networks struggled to keep up with the cable channels with ABC at 6.3 million, NBC at 5.8 million, and CBS at 4.5 million.

CNN pulled especially far ahead Saturday evening with a whopping 13.5 million tuning in to hear projected President-elect Joe Biden’s speech after the race was called in his favor by AP, Fox News, and other major networks. MSNBC came in second that night with 9 million viewers. Only 3.1 million watched Biden’s speech on Fox News.

The broadcast networks made their comeback in the evening newscasts with ABC’s “World News Tonight” at the head of the pack, averaging 9.4 million views for the week. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 8.2 million, and the “CBS Evening News” had 5.7 million.

CNN congressional correspondent and Twitter’s favorite ‘Map Guy’ Phil Mattingly has earned praise for holding his own with network veterans throughout the coverage of a tumultuous election cycle.

As election day quickly turned to election night, viewers stayed tuned to only a handful of experts to get the latest news on vote counts, including CNN’s John King and Phil Mattingly, MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki, and Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer. As voters stood on their toes waiting for an election outcome, viewers began to share their appreciation for the live coverage over Twitter, referring to the election experts affectionately as ‘map guys’ or ‘chartthrobs,’ as LA Times’ Matt Brennan put it.

Mattingly, who took the late night shift following King, garnered a lot of attention when he and CNN’s Chris Cuomo reacted to Biden’s sharp recovery in Michigan early Wednesday morning following Election Day. 

“We’ll pull back out here. Look, Donald Trump just took the lead!” Mattingly mistakenly said after Trump’s nearly 60,000 vote lead was cut down to around 26,000 in Michigan. “Pull back out. Donald Trump now ahead. By 26, didn’t take the lead, sorry, it’s been a long night.”

“Overall margin went from in the 60s down to 26,000,” Mattingly clarified.

Of course, most commentators were concerned with something other than this minor gaffe. “This election has taught me so much about my country,” says YouTube star and two time Emmy nominated comedian Randy Rainbow. “But mostly that Phil Mattingly from CNN is hot asf and John King could also most certainly get it.”

Meanwhile, r/MapBoy became a trending subreddit full of memes honoring Mattingly for his good looks and charismatic coverage.

Mattingly took his night of fame modestly, tweeting about the honor of working along with CNN veteran John King. “In a week full of endless highlights, this ranks right there near the top,” Mattingly wrote on Twitter. “First ever time comparing Magic Wall notes on live TV with the [goat].”

A majority of television news networks cut away from President Trump’s remarks last night on the election after he made a series of baseless claims of fraudulent voting. 

MSNBC was the first, cutting away just 36 seconds into the White House press conference, followed by ABC, CBS, NBC, and NPR just a few moments later. CNN and Fox News received flak for continuing to cover the President’s remarks, however, both outlets acknowledged that the President provided no evidence of his claims of voter fraud, reports The New York Times.

President Trump’s news conference took aim at the evening newscasts of ABC, NBC, and CBS, which generally receive a much larger and broader viewership. Among his many claims, President Trump argued that Democrats were “trying to steal the election.”

News anchors were quick to respond to the President’s claims with extensive fact-checking, as reported by the Poynter Institute. 

“We are watching President Trump speaking live from the White House, and we have to interrupt here because the President made a number of false statements including the notion that there has been fraudulent voting,” said NBC’s Nightly News weekday host Lester Holt. “There has been no evidence of that.”

“Here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the President of the United States but correcting the President of the United States,” said MSNBC chief anchor Brian Williams. “There are no illegal votes that we know of, there has been no Trump victory that we know of.”

CNN’s Anderson Cooper made a particularly harsh critique of the President following the broadcast: “That’s the President of the United States. Most powerful person in the world. We see him like an obese turtle on his back flailing in the hot sun realizing his time is over. But he just hasn’t accepted it, and he wants to take everyone down with him, including this country.”

The Poynter Institute’s Politifact provides a thorough review of the accuracy of the President’s statements, providing relevant context for each claim with reporting from each state implicated. 

The Trump Campaign is accusing the Commission on Presidential Debates of foul play once again after moderator Kristen Welker announced the topics for the third and final presidential debate.

Kristen Welker, co-anchor of NBC’s ‘Weekend Today’ show, announced last Friday that the third debate would cover Fighting COVID-19, American Families, Race in America, Climate Change, National Security, and Leadership. The following Monday, Trump Campaign Manager Bill Stepien wrote a scathing letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, or to the “Biden Debate Commission,” as he referred to them on Twitter. 

The letter proclaimed “great concern over the announced topics,” alleging that both campaigns had acknowledged that the final debate would be focused on foreign policy, following the tradition of a “Foreign Policy Debate” capstone.

“As is the long-standing custom, and as had been promised by the Commission on Presidential Debates,” Bill Stepien wrote, “we had expected that foreign policy would be the central focus of the October 22 debate.”

The Biden Campaign denied that any such arrangement had been made, pointing out instead that the Commission had explicitly left the selection of debate topics up to the moderators. Biden’s national press secretary, TJ Ducklo, further suggested that the Trump Campaign is lying in an attempt to avoid answering questions on the President’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, reported The Hill.

“The campaigns and the Commission agreed months ago that the debate moderator would choose the topics,” said TJ Ducklo. “The Trump campaign is lying about that now because Donald Trump is afraid to face more questions about his disastrous COVID response. As usual, the president is more concerned with the rules of a debate than he is getting a nation in crisis the help it needs.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates has also announced that they will be muting the opposing candidate’s microphone during the initial two minutes allotted for each candidate to answer the moderator’s questions, after which the candidates are granted 15 minutes to engage with one another normally, reports The New York Times.

Asked late Monday about what he thought of the current debate developments, President Trump said, “I just think it is very unfair.” He added, “It is very unfair that again we have an anchor who is totally biased.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates maintains that the changes were made in an effort to better insure a conversation around policy occurs at the debates. “We are comfortable that these actions strike the right balance and that they are in the interest of the American people, for whom these debates are held,” said the commission.

The final debate is scheduled for Thursday, October 22nd at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will be competing for viewership for their own, respective town halls tonight after their debate originally planned by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates was rejected by President Trump.

After President Trump tested positive for coronavirus, the Commission announced that the second presidential debate would move to a virtual format with each candidate participating remotely. President Trump, however, refused to participate, calling a virtual debate “ridiculous.”  “I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate,” the President said. “It’s not what debating is all about.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates subsequently decided to cancel the debate originally scheduled for tonight, citing “a series of statements concerning” each campaign’s “willingness to participate in a virtual debate,” according to their statement.

“It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22,” the statement said.

The Biden Campaign scheduled a town hall with ABC News soon after the official debate fell through, reported CNN. And, just as the controversy seemed over, NBC News announced that they would also be hosting a town hall, this one for the Trump Campaign, during the same hour as Joe Biden’s town hall. NBC faced sharp backlash from prominent journalists, including Rachel Maddow, Katie Couric and Jeff Greenfield, for scheduling the town hall in direct competition with ABC, reported The Washington Post.

“Y’all sign my checks of late but I’m disgusted by my home network giving Trump a platform for fear mongering, bigotry and disinformation,” wrote Katie Couric, former host of NBC’s “Today” show, on Twitter.

Now, despite all the drama leading up to them, there are two town halls to look forward to tonight. You can watch Joe Biden’s town hall on ABC, or stream it through ABC News Live, starting at 8pm ET. It is scheduled to last one hour plus a half hour of post-event coverage. The event will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

President Trump’s town hall will also air at 8pm ET, but will only last one hour. The event will be moderated by NBC’s “Today” Show co-anchor, Savannah Guthrie at an outdoor area of the Perez Art Museum in Miami. Guthrie will be sitting 12 feet away from the President and officials at the National Institute of Health have assured the public that President Trump is “not shedding infectious virus.” You can watch it on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC or stream it through NBC News NOW, reports the Verge.

The third presidential debate, scheduled for October 22nd at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, will go as planned as both presidential candidates have agreed to attend.

President Donald Trump says he will not participate in the second presidential debate this October 15th after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that they are changing the debate format to a virtual town-hall in which “candidates would participate from separate remote locations,” reports Axios. 

The bipartisan commission made these changes shortly after President Trump and several of his campaign staff members tested positive for coronavirus, in order “to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate,” according to their statement. 

The President responded to the news, saying, “I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. It’s not what debating is all about. … It’s ridiculous.” Trump Campaign Manager Bill Stepien took a more accusatory stance, complaining that the decision was “extremely suspect,” and that the campaign would “pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.” 

Joe Biden’s campaign says they are willing to participate in the virtual debate, but that they would find an appropriate place to take voter questions if the President chooses not to participate. They also asked the Commission on Presidential Debates to change the third presidential debate, scheduled for October 22nd, to a town-hall format as well, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, Frank Fahrenkopf, told USA Today that they cannot force the President to participate in the debates. “There’s no way you can force a presidential candidate to debate,” Fahrenkopf said. “It’s up to them whether they debate or not.”

Top Trump advisor, Larry Kudlow told Fox News that he expects the virtual debate to be “renegotiated” if Trump manages to present several negative COVID-19 tests prior to the debate, reports Mediaite. Bill Stepien echoed that sentiment, saying, “President Trump will have posted multiple negative tests prior to the debate, so there is no need for this unilateral declaration.” Nonetheless, the Trump campaign has offered an alternative solution; Stepien has suggested moving both of the scheduled presidential debates back a week to October 22nd and the 29th. 

“Voters should have the opportunity to directly question Biden’s 47-year failed record of leadership,” said Stepien. “We agree that this should happen on Oct. 22, and accordingly, the third debate should then be shifted back one week to Oct. 29.”

Fahrenkopf says that the Commission will stick to an in-person debate on October 22nd. When the 25-year veteran of the Commission on Presidential Debates was asked about the controversial decision, he said “I heard this morning, ‘Well, they should have consulted us.’ We never consult on these sorts of things, and we’ve been saying from the very beginning that we are going to follow the advice of the medical people who are advising us, the Cleveland Clinic.” He added, “They supported what we are doing. We are doing this for the safety of everyone involved.”