Behind the scenes of one of the most powerful clubs in America.
Host of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be the entertainment for 2012’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner as reported by People.
“Jimmy’s humor is sophisticated and edgy while appealing to a wide audience,” said Reuters journalist Caren Bohan, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. “We are thrilled that Jimmy has accepted our invitation to be the featured comedian at our annual dinner.”
Read the full story here.
Will Jimmy Kimmel Man Up for Moms too?
The infamous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil may have spotted his shadow yesterday signifying an early spring but it remains to be seen how quickly relations thaw between the press corps and the White House.
People around the world have been watching the reports of tens of thousands of Egyptians flooding the streets of Cairo calling for a regime change. The White House response to the clash between anti-government protestors and supporters of President Hosni Mubarak has been guarded, making few statements on what is being called a major foreign policy crisis.
Left without substantive updates on the situation in Egypt and shut out from the President’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the White House Correspondents Association sent a letter to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs complaining that “for two straight days the full press pool is being shut out of events that have typically been open and provided opportunities try to ask the President a question.”
The letter, written by WHCA Executive Director Julia Whitson, was sent in advance of the President’s signing of the New START Treaty, the new nuclear arms reduction pact with Russia.
“We are writing to protest in the strongest possible terms the White House’s decision to close the President’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and his signing of the START Treaty today to the full press pool.
The START treaty was held up as one of the President’s most important foreign policy priorities for almost a year dating back to the trip to Prague last spring. We are concerned that now his signing of it is open to still photographers but closed to editorial, including print and wire reporters and television cameras.” Read the full letter at mediabistro.com.
In the end, the White House stuck by its decision and allowed only a small group of photographers into the Oval Office for the signing of the treaty.
As reported in The Hill, Gibbs said the decision to keep reporters out of the signing was based on fear they would shout questions to the President about Egypt, and continued to defend the decision by stating it was “part of the coverage plans that have been in place for a bit now.”
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, March 20th is the first day of spring…
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Fox News Channel Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett announced he’s joining National Journal as a Congressional Correspondent on September 3, just in time to avoid the new war over Fox News‘ front-row seat in the White House Briefing room.
Public Campaign, the Center for Media and Democracy, and Media Matters for America sent a letter Monday to the White House Correspondents Association in response to reports of News Corp.’s $1 million donation to the Republican Governors Association. In the letter they ask for the WHCA to “reconsider its decision to allow Fox News Channel a front-row seat in the White House briefing room” calling News Corp.’s donation “a massive ethical lapse that demonstrates Fox News’ inability to function as an objective media institution.”
Media Matters reports current WHCA President David Jackson of USA Today rejected the seating change request, stating: “The decision has been made.”
Jackson’s predecessor, Ed Chen who left Bloomberg News a few months ago and returned to the Natural Resources Defense Council, calls that decision “a travesty.”
Explaining further to Media Matters:
“The vacancy was created because of an ideological conflict,” he said, referring to [Helen] Thomas’ anti-Israel comments that led to her resignation. “To fill the vacancy with another cloud of ideological conflict was most unfortunate and inappropriate.”
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“Church is full today,” joked Gibbs. “That’s good to see.” Here’s the briefing from C-SPAN.
Most eyes were on the Associated Press who now occupy the front row, center seat once warmed by Helen Thomas – but there were several changes made by the White House Correspondents Association and a whole new seating chart – one that may require a booster seat as Gibbs pointed out to America Urban Radio Networks’ April Ryan who could barely see the podium from her spot behind NPR reporter Ari Shaprio.
“Ms. Ryan, you’re going to have to ask that gentleman in front of you to sit down a little,” joked Gibbs. “He’s a little on the tall side.”
Ryan moved up from the fourth row to the middle of the third row next to Politico, which also moved up from fourth to third row. That put Ryan directly behind NPR, one of the contenders for the Thomas perch. NPR was given Fox’s old seat in the second row, directly behind the newly ensconced AP. Fox moved up to the first row in the old AP seat. Got it?
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Ending weeks of speculation, the White House Correspondents Association announced the Associated Press will take the front row, center seat in the James S. Brady Briefing Room at the White House once occupied by Helen Thomas.
The association stated the change will take effect Monday and that it was a “very difficult decision.” Bloomberg, Fox News, and NPR all made public plays for the coveted chair, which did not go unnoticed by the WHCA board. The first few minutes of Monday’s briefing might look like a game of musical chairs since the AP won’t be the only ones with a new vantage point.
The board “was persuaded by Fox’s length of service and commitment to the White House television pool” and moved them to the front row seat previously occupied by AP; NPR will shuffle into the second row seat previously held by Fox, next to Bloomberg News.
Photo: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images
Has the celebrity aspect of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner gone too far?
Michael Getler, the independent internal critic, otherwise known as the “ombudsman” for the Public Broadcasting System, believes that it has. In a recent Ombudsman Column, Getler calls the dinner an “embarrassment, just one more brick on the pile that buries confidence in the U.S. press.” The dinner happened to take place on the same weekend that marked the passing of two long-time PBS public affairs shows: Bill Moyers Journal and NOW with host David Brancaccio.
Getler called it “Journalism’s Passing Parade” – do you agree? Share your comments.
It’s the biggest weekend in Washington, second only perhaps to Inauguration, which you clever kids know from civics class only comes once every four years (and without as many brunches).
So, here it is, the best of the fetes, as we scour the tables at the Washington Hilton to find someone not represented by Bob Barnett.
BEST OUTREACH BY A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. No one walks in LA, but apparently Hollywood hottie and “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier was making his way on foot to the Bloomberg/Vanity Fair after party when he was spotted by none other than Rahm Emanuel. The White House Chief of Staff’s brother, Ari Emanuel, was the inspiration for the high-strung, heavyweight agent portrayed by Jeremy Piven on the hit HBO show “Entourage.”
Rahm immediately had his motorcade pull over and Adrian hopped in. Now that’s taking it to the people!
Rounding out an already busy weekend, the Allbritton Brunch on Sunday proved to be the next must-attend event surrounding the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
Held at the Georgetown Mansion of Politico owner and wife, Robert and Elena Allbritton, the posh gathering included stamina-filled notables, such as: WHCA President Ed Chen, Secretary of Health & Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Senator Scott Brown, T. Boone Pickens, actor Ewan McGregor, and the youthful trio, the Jonas Brothers.
Check out Politico’s take.
ABC News’ Jake Tapper has plenty to smile about at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
Aside from snagging the “it” political guest – Scott Brown, the new Senator from Massachusetts – Tapper will be going home with the Merriman Smith Award for presidential coverage under deadline pressure in the broadcast category.
Tapper spoke with WHC Insider’s Tammy Haddad at the White House about his penchant for Twitter, and keeping his prestigious journalism award out of the reach of his two young children.
WHC Insider Interview with Jake Tapper, ABC News from whcinsider on Vimeo.
WHC Insider’s Tammy Haddad sat down with ABC News’ David Chalian and Rick Klein on the ABCNews.com show “Top Line” to chat about the evolution of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner into an all-out weekend event – including the annual brunch she co-hosts on Saturday morning.
In a town where politicians and notable folks tend to avoid the press, it’s one of the few times when the invitation bearing, ticket holding, media is suddenly in demand:
“This is the only time they call us and beg…. This is the only time where everyone has to stand in line together.”
