White House Correspondents Insider
Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.
Alan Pakula documentary, “Alan Pakula: Going For Truth” screening hosted by Sally Quinn, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein at the US Navy Memorial Burke Theater. From left to right: Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post; Director and Producer of “Alan Pakula: Going For Truth,” Matthew Miele; Carl Bernstein; Sally Quinn; and Bob Woodward.
Kara Swisher, prominent tech reporter, commentator, and co-founder of Re-Code, is leaving her role as columnist and podcaster at the New York Times to return to Vox Media. Swisher will be bringing her Executive Producer of two years with her, Nayeema Raza, previously the showrunner of her New York Times podcast, “Sway.”
Swisher will host a new interview show at the Vox Media Podcast Network that will exist as a companion to “Pivot,” the business and technology podcast she’s co-hosted with New York University professor Scott Galloway for nearly four years. The official program was introduced at Vox Media’s upfront event Vox Media Now on June 9, and the show will launch in the fall.
Swisher has a long history with Vox Media. Initially, she and her business partner Walt Mossberg sold their original technology website and business, Recode, to Vox Media in 2015. With this agreement, Vox also acquired the rights to the brands podcasts, like Swisher’s show Recode Decode.
Swisher then left that show in 2020 to join the Times as a podcaster, with Vox Media later rebranding the program to “Decoder.” However, Swisher never completely cut ties with Vox Media, continuing to host “Pivot” on the side in addition to her Times work.
Her new show, she said in an interview with Bloomberg, will be more topical and sassy, similar to “Pivot.” The final episode of Swisher’s New York Times Pocast “Sway” will air in July.
About Nayeema:
Nayeema Raza is a producer based in New York City. She is currently the showrunner of The New York Times podcast about power Sway hosted by Kara Swisher. Raza’s career began as a consultant at Monitor Group, where she worked on issues of international development and policy. After five years, she returned to school and received a joint Master’s from Harvard and Stanford University. At Stanford, she connected with her professor, documentary filmmaker Bill Guttentag. Together, Raza and Guttentag founded the production house 1891 Productions. Their projects include Sublime, which premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, and the CBS All Access documentary series That Animal Rescue Show, which they executive produced alongside Richard Linklater.
Washington Post Chief Communications Officer Kris Coratti and National Portrait Gallery Executive Director Kim Sajet hosted an all-female breakfast at The National Portrait Gallery on May 25th. The event was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Watergate and the newest exhibit in the gallery, Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue.
Light breakfast was served in the director’s suite as guests mingled before Kim and Kris began with some remarks about the exhibit, and introduced the special guest, Washington Post veteran Sally Quinn.
Sally began by recounting her history and her memories from the Watergate era, discussing the likes of Ben Bradlee, Kay Graham, Bob Woodward, and Carl Bernstein, and disclosing exclusive insider details on the scandal. After the conversation and breakfast wrapped up, guests were invited to go downstairs for a private tour of the new exhibit, lead by the Portrait Gallery’s senior historian and exhibit curator, Kate Clarke Lemay.
Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue, explores the 50th anniversary of the watershed moment through portraiture of the era. Displaying 25 objects in various mediums spanning from fine art to pop culture, the exhibit looks at the specific types of media published around Watergate, and looks at the intersection of investigative journalism, activism, and politics.
The exhibit opened on March 25th and will be open to the public through September 5th as part of the museum’s “One Life” series. You can learn more about it here.
You can see the full set of photos from the event here.
The Financial Times hosted its inaugural FTWeekend Festival: US Edition at The Reach at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C this past Saturday, May 7th. The Festival showcased the best of The Financial Times and FT Magazine journalism, exploring big ideas in politics, economics, climate and culture. The launch of the US edition follows the success of the annual FTWeekend Festival in London, which began six years ago.
Topics ranged from the new world order and fresh perspectives on communism and capitalism, to style in a post-Covid world, and writing in an age of intolerance and southern cuisine. The theme of the event was The Bigger Picture: A Global Take on the Ideas Stimulating, Diverting – and Unsettling – Our Age.
The FT Festival featured renowned experts and commentators, including veteran statesman Henry Kissinger; author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; author of The Palace Papers Tina Brown; historian Simon Schama; and restaurateur Daniel Humm.
Alongside these speakers, some of the FT’s most distinguished journalists took the stage, including editor Roula Khalaf; US managing editor Peter Spiegel; US editor-at-large Gillian Tett; and chief economics commentator Martin Wolf; FTWeekend editor Alec Russell; and How to Spend It editor Jo Ellison.
White House Correspondents’ Co-Hosts Teresa Carlson, Craig Minassian, Yamiche Alcindor, Tammy Haddad, Mark and Sally Ein, and Stephanie Ruhle congratulate 2022 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch award receipients Bob and Lee Woodruff of The Bob Woodruff Foundation and U.S. Army Inspector General LTG Donna Martin.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has announced that African American Reporters Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne to be First Recipients of the newly created “Dunnigan-Payne Prize” named after the first two African American women to serve as members of the White House press corps.
Dunnigan-Payne Prize for Lifetime Career Achievement will be awarded on an occasional basis at the discretion of the WHCA board to recognize meritorious service throughout an individual’s career as a White House correspondent.
The namesakes of the award, the late reporters Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne, will be the first recipients of the prize. Their relatives will be on hand to accept the posthumous honor at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington on April 30.
Gayle King, co-host of “CBS Mornings,” will present the award at the dinner.
“This association of White House reporters has never given its due to these two pioneering WHCA members who paved the way for so many,” said WHCA president Steven Portnoy. “We are proud to see to it that Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne will be forever remembered for their service to the profession and to the American public.”
Ms. Dunnigan was the first African American female reporter to be credentialed at the White House in 1947. She was joined on the beat by Ms. Payne a few years later. Both women distinguished themselves during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, regularly pressing him at his press conferences – when no other reporters would – about his administration’s support for civil rights for Black Americans.
“In the face of the racism and sexism of the era, these two women fearlessly brought the concerns of their readers directly to the most powerful man in the world,” Portnoy said. “It is our honor to lift up their legacies.”
The WHCA board voted to approve the creation of the Dunnigan-Payne Prize in January 2022. Portnoy credited board members Fin Gomez and Justin Sink, whom he said were key to the efforts to bring the honor to fruition.
Yesterday, Axios covered the return of The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, warmly referring to it with the infamous DC nickname- Nerd Prom.
They outlined the festivities in the Tuesday article, announcing that Washington’s biggest bash, the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, is back along with a weekend full of parties.
The festivities are set to be one of the biggest events in D.C. since COVID hit, cranking up the city’s party planning machine and its legions of caterers and hospitality workers. And for the first time since 2016, a sitting president will attend.
Comedian Trevor Noah will host (and roast). Page Six also reports that Kim Kardashian and beau Pete Davidson will stop by. They also touched on Tammy Haddad, co-founder of White House Correspondents Insider.
The one party all of A-list Washington will hit: Tammy Haddad’s 27th-annual garden brunch, held at the Georgetown home of co-host Mark Ein, owner of the recently slashed Washington City Paper.
Among the out-of-town VIPs expected to attend are actresses Diane Lane and Lynda Carter, filmmaker Jay Roach, actor Danny Strong, and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr.
Haddad wouldn’t share how many people would be attending — although she says there is a cap on the number of attendees for COVID-19 reasons.
The first Garden Brunch took place in Tammy Haddad’s backyard 29 years ago, ahead of the 1993 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. She started the Brunch as a way to gather her friends from New York and Los Angeles when they were visiting DC for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Now, over 27 years later, the Garden Brunch is still celebrating great Washington journalism.
We look forward to the festivities and encourage everyone in Washington to remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Wear comfortable shoes, black tie attire, and make sure you have your game-day attitude on, because you never know what or who to expect during White House Correspondents’ Weekend.
The White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch is pleased to announce Lieutenant General Donna W. Martin as the recipient for the 2022 “Courage” Award.
Lt. General Martin is the 67th Inspector General of the United States Army, the first woman to hold the post. A native of Yorktown, Virginia, and a graduate of Old Dominion University, Martin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps in 1988.
LTG Martin was previously the Provost Marshal General of the U.S. Army, serving as the principal military advisor to the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army on policing matters, including law enforcement, criminal investigations, criminal intelligence corrections, biometrics and forensics, physical security, high-risk personnel security, antiterrorism, and detention operations. Concurrently, LTG Martin served as the Commanding General, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, serving as the Department of the Army’s independent criminal investigative authority. LTG Martin served in both Iraq and in Afghanistan.
LTG Martin’s military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal; Legion of Merit with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster; Bronze Star Medal with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; Army Commendation Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; and an Army Achievement Medal.
Lt. General Martin has shown courage and exhibited extraordinary leadership throughout her military career, and we are more than honored to present her with this year’s “Courage” Award. The spirit of the Garden Brunch is recognizing and celebrating veterans and active-duty members of the military like Lt. General Martin who have dedicated their lives to serving our country. While we celebrate the freedom of the press this weekend, it’s important to shine the spotlight on and give back to those that ensure our safety and secure our freedom across the world.
Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson will be back in Washington, DC, this weekend for the 2022 White House Correspondents’ dinner, Page Six reported today.
Kardashian, 41, and Davidson, 28, will be sitting at Disney/ABC’s table, as the Kardashians’ new reality show is on Hulu, now owned by Disney.
When discussing if Trevor Noah will make any jokes about the couple, one Page Six source said “I don’t think they should feel that they’re safe, Trevor could definitely turn his attention to Kim and Pete.”
Kim and Pete will be heading to the dinner shortly after they were spotted watching Jon Stewart accept the award for lifetime achievement in humor at the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor show Sunday night, see below.
Kardashian last attended the dinner back in 2012 where she was the butt of jokes from host Jimmy Kimmel and then-President Barack Obama.“If you’re looking for the greatest threat to America right now, she’s right there,” Kimmel joked. “She’s Kim Kardashian.”
According to Politico’s Playbook today, The White House Correspondents Day Weekend is no longer a weekend. Get ready to say hello to the White House Correspondents’ Week. Here’s a complete list of the events to get you ready for the festivities. Just remember, these parties are invite-only, as reported by Playbook:
THURSDAY: The weekend has become so crowded with high-profile parties that some organizations have moved their events to Thursday. These tend to be more civilized and casual affairs that allow you to practice your rusty social skills and get a preview of who’s in town before the historically fancier (and drunker) events that begin Friday.
6 p.m.: Washington Women in Journalism Awards. This year’s honorees include ABC’s Martha Raddatz, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Washington Post’s Kathleen Parker and NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe.
6:30 p.m.: National Geographic reception, followed by screening of “We Feed People,” a documentary about José Andrés and directed by Ron Howard. Both will be on hand for a Q&A.
6:30 p.m.: Bytes & Bylines, hosted by the Irish ambassador. We’ve never been to a bad party hosted by the Irish, so this is a good choice to start the festivities.
FRIDAY: This has become a big night for parties, and is now dominated by two talent agencies, CAA and UTA. There are tons of smaller events all over Washington scheduled for Friday, but you’re probably having a good night if you’re shutting down the dance floor at the UTA party at 2 a.m.
5 p.m.: Vanity Fair and Power to the Patients cocktail reception.
6 p.m.: NBCUniversal shows off its new digs on Capitol Hill with Chair Cesar Conde.
6 p.m.: Motion Picture Association reception. This one has historically attracted a big Hollywood contingent.
6:30 p.m.: CAA WHCD Cocktail Party. Always a classy affair.
6:30 p.m.: 14th annual Our Voices event hosted by Maria Teresa Kumar and Rosario Dawson. (No word on whether Sen. Cory Booker is invited.)
7 p.m.: Politics & Inclusion Dinner, which promises to “bring together 50 diverse leaders in politics and media, both established and rising stars.” This year’s hosts: CNN’s Abby Phillip and ColorComm’s Lauren Wesley Wilson.
7 p.m.: Semafor party. Justin Smith, Ben Smith, Gina Chua, Steve Clemons and Rachel Oppenheim are hosting an informal get-together to talk about their new media venture.
7:30 p.m.: The Creative Coalition is hosting the #RightToBearArts Gala Dinner. They promise celebrities from “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Young Sheldon” and “Barry.”
9 p.m.: Funny or Die/People Magazine party. How it’s being pitched: “In a town filled with famously unfunny parties, Funny Or Die and PEOPLE Magazine present the funniest party this town has ever seen.” Also: “celebrities galore.”
9 p.m.: UTA Celebration of America’s Journalists.
SATURDAY:
Brunches: There’s actually only one. Known simply as “Tammy’s brunch,” this party, now in its 27th year, has become as famous as the WHCD itself. Tammy Haddad, along with her 2022 co-hosts, Mark & Sally Ein, Kevin Sheekey, Stephanie Ruhle, Yamiche Alcindor, Craig Minassian, Teresa Carlson and Franco Nuschese, will be honoring ABC News’ Bob Woodruff and Lt. Gen. Donna Martin, inspector general of the Army, with special awards.
11 a.m.: The 27th Annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch. A reminder from the hosts: “Aside from designated press areas, the event is off the record. We ask that you follow the same rules established by the WHCA for the dinner: No professional cameras or audio/video recorders are allowed inside the Party. Interviews are not permitted inside the event. Reporting on ‘overheards’ is strongly discouraged.”
Pre-parties: One of the longest-running traditions of the dinner is the pre-party cocktail receptions throughout the Washington Hilton, hosted by news organizations. These often spill out into the hallways, and you can hop from one to the other. It’s typically easier to see and talk to people at these receptions than inside the ballroom itself, and you’ll get your first glimpse of interesting guests as you wander around. (One of us remembers chatting with Matt Drudge and Paula Jones at one of these back in 1998.) Here are a couple, but there are many more:
5:30 p.m.: ABC News reception, hosted by ABC News President Kim Godwin.
6 p.m.: POLITICO-CBS reception hosted by POLITICO CEO Goli Sheikoleslami and CBS News President Neeraj Khemlani.
7:30 p.m.: The White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton.
After-parties: There are more this year than ever. The Vanity Fair party used to be the hottest ticket, but Graydon Carter canceled it in 2017, and the magazine isn’t returning this year. NBC’s shindig became the go-to destination from 2017-2019. Now, party newcomer Paramount is hosting an afterparty that is being buzzed about as the new Vanity Fair. We’ll see!
9 p.m.: Vice News’ “Break the News” party to celebrate “our friends in the field.” This one goes until 1.
9:30 p.m.: Modern Luxury DC party. Don’t worry if you didn’t go to the dinner and aren’t wearing black tie — the dress code for this one is “Cocktail Chic.”
10:30 p.m.: theGrio’s “A Seat at the Table” party celebrating Black media and April Ryan’s 25th anniversary covering Washington. Mary J. Blige is performing, and comedian Chris Tucker is hosting.
10:30 p.m.: An Evening of Magical Realism, hosted by the ambassador of Colombia. This one, billed as “an exclusive soirée,” sounds interesting. Music: Thievery Corporation’s Eric Hilton.
11 p.m.: The Paramount After Party.
11:30 p.m.: The NBCUniversal After Party. There’s no end time on the invitation, so that bodes well.
SUNDAY: You’re hungover. You were dancing late into the night with MSNBC bookers. Or perhaps you couldn’t sneak into the Paramount party and ended up at Black Whiskey until closing time. However the night went, you need a bloody mary and some eggs. The city is scattered with some smaller gatherings Sunday, but the two main events are hosted by CNN and yours truly.
10:30 a.m.: CNN Political Hangover Brunch.
11 a.m.: POLITICO Brunch.
We look forward to this week’s events and encourage everyone to stay safe!
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