White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

Dr. Anthony Fauci Returns to White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

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White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch co-hosts were pleased to welcome Dr. Anthony Fauci and his wife Dr. Christine Grady back to the Garden Brunch. They are long-time attendees and supporters of our causes. Here he is with this year’s White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch “Courage” Award recipient Lt. Gen. Donna Martin, the first female Inspector General of the Army and previous award winner Lt. Gen. Gwen Bingham (Ret.).

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30: The 27th annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch on April 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for White House Correspondents Insider )

At the outdoor location in Georgetown well wishers greeted them and took photos. Dr. Fauci announced earlier in the week that he would not attend the White House Correspondents Dinner itself. 
When the rapper, Fat Joe, approached Dr. Fauci the iPhones went up, including longtime republican consultant Ron Bonjean.

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30: The 27th annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch on April 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for White House Correspondents Insider )

The Daily Mail noticed Fauci’s participation and highlighted the event. Read the story here.

View more images from the 2022 #GardenBrunch

Paramount Global’s Starry White House Correspondents Dinner After Party

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CBS, MTV Entertainment, Comedy Central, Paramount+, and Showtime, otherwise known as Paramount Global, came together to host the #ParamountAfterParty at the Residence of France with Ambassador Philippe Etienne following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 30th. The star-studded affair was one of the most sought-after tickets of the weekend.

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The top brass from Paramount Global strutted their stuff as the new hosts. Bloomberg and VANITY FAIR were the longtime hosts of the After party, but this year in Paramount Global garnered an equally epic gathering of Washington’s top players and Hollywood’s beautiful people. The guest list included Diane Lane, Sophia Bush, Gayle King, Roy Wood, Jr., Billy Eichner, as well as Biden administration officials Secretary of State Tony Blinken, White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan, Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti, Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Biden Senior Advisor Mike Donilon and Senators Chris Coons (Del.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and former Congressman Will Hurd (Texas) from Capitol Hill.

Paramount Global leadership was well represented by CBS president and CEO George Cheeks, SHOWTIME CEO David Nevins, Washington favorite DeDe Lea, EVP of Global Public Policy and Government Relations, co-presidents of CBS News Wendy McMahon and Neeraj Khemlani and Tom Ryan, President & CEO Paramount Streaming / Co-Founder & CEO Pluto TV.

The company owned the weekend with Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah appearing as the comedian at the dinner, CBS radio’s Steve Portnoy, this year’s President of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell, who signed a new contract and hosts the only evening new show that originates from Washington, and Showtime Stars Corey Stoll and Desus were among the guests.

The Biden White House staff was well represented beginning with Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Evan Ryan, Steve and Amy Ricchetti, Mike and Trish Donilon, Jen Psaki, Ned Price, Anthony Bernal, Naomi Biden, Ashley Biden, Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas, Amb. Philippe Etienne, Amb. Karen Pierce, Charles Roxburgh, Karine Jean-Pierre, John McCarthy, Lina Khan, Rohit Chopra, Jessica Rosenworcel, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Chris Coons, DeDe Lea, David Nevins, George Cheeks, Neeraj Khemlani, Gayle King, Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy, Diane Lane, Brooke Shields and daughter Rowan, Harry Hamlin, Roy Wood, Christa Robinson, Roy Wood, Jr., Tony Dokoupil and Katy Tur, Chris and Jenny Licht, David and Katie Leavy, Don Lemon and Tim Malone, Nathaniel Brown, Pamela Brown, Kate Bouldan, Fred and Genny Ryan, Kara Swisher, Nayeema Raza, Carol Melton, Robert Costa, Jason Isaacs, Symone Sanders, Jonathan Swan, Mike Allen, Jay Carney, John Harris, Matt Kaminsky, Matt Dornic, Jim VandeHei, Steve and Jean Case, Marne Levine and Phil Deutch, Will Hurd, Chris Krebs, Shelley Zalis, Yebbie Watkins, Liz Johnson, Daniel Koh and Amy Sennett, Senay Bulbul, Jonathan and Betsy Fisher Martin, Luke Russert, Kasie Hunt, Craig Gordon, Olivia Nuzziand Ryan Lizza, Brian Stelter, Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, Ryan Williams, Anthony Verdugo, Nancy Cordes, Marc Adelman.

White House Correspondents’ Association to Honor First Two Black Women of the White House Press Corps

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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.

Alice Dunnigan in 1977, for the Black Women Oral History Project 

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.”

Ethel Payne, Courtesy of the Styberg Library 

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.

27th Annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch Honoring the Press and Our Military Veterans Returns on Saturday, April 30th, 2022

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Washington, DC – The annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch returns for its 27th year on April 30, 2022. Traditionally held on the afternoon of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, the event brings together journalists, politicians, government officials, celebrities, and other notable individuals to honor the press and America’s military veterans. See preview video here. 

The 2022 Garden Brunch co-hosts are Tammy Haddad, Mark and Sally Ein, Kevin Sheekey, Stephanie Ruhle, Yamiche Alcindor, Craig Minassian, Teresa Carlson, and Franco Nuschese.

Bob Woodruff Foundation co-founders Bob and Lee Woodruff will be presented with the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch “Innovation” Award for their work providing resources and support to injured service members, veterans, and their families. The couple launched the foundation after Bob Woodruff, an ABC News journalist, recovered from a ​​life-threatening traumatic brain injury he sustained while reporting on the war in Iraq.

Lt. General Donna W. Martin, the first woman to serve as Inspector General of the United States Army, a position she has held since September 2021, will be honored with the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch “Courage” Award. 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, and anti-terrorism. LTG Martin served in both Iraq and in Afghanistan.

The Brunch will also highlight the work of Blue Star Families, an organization committed to strengthening military families by connecting them with their neighbors, and Dog Tag Bakery, which provides a bridge from military service to the civilian world by helping veterans, military spouses, and caregivers find renewed purpose.  Brunch guests will be invited to write notes thanking service members and their families, including those deployed in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine, and pin them onto an 8-foot-tall “Honor Wall” erected by Blue Star Families.

This year’s event will be held at the historic Beall-Washington House in Georgetown, once the home of former Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham, now owned by Mark and Sally Ein.

The first Garden Brunch took place in Tammy Haddad’s backyard 29 years ago, ahead of the 1993 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. For background and interviews on the history of the White House Correspondents’ dinner and the events surrounding it, see Haddad’s podcast series, “Cone of Silence” on Audioboom or iTunes.

Photos and videos of previous White House Correspondents’ weekends and Garden Brunches can be found at WHC Insider.  

The 27th Annual Garden Brunch is made possible by the generous support of the Web3 Foundation, GM, and Flex.

Hashtag: #GardenBrunch

Photos of award recipients Bob and Lee Woodruff and LTG Donna W. Martin are attached below.

For more information, please contact: WHCgardenbrunch@haddadmedia.com 

The Annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch and White House Correspondents Insider (WHC Insider) are not affiliated with, or approved by, the White House Correspondents’ Association, which is a registered trademark of the WHCA.

White House, National Security Council Brief Influencers on Russia’s War Against Ukraine

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Ellie Zelier
Kahlil Greene
Marcus DiPaola

Top staffers at the White House and the National Security Council briefed social media influencers from TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram about Russia’s war on Ukraine. According to a White House official, the Thursday afternoon Zoom call included 30 of the top social media content creators chosen to receive important information and the latest news out of the region. 

The briefing was led by Matt Miller, a special adviser for communications at the White House National Security Council, as well as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. Psaki informed the influencers about “the United States’ strategic goals in the region” and answered questions regarding aid distribution, NATO, and more. 

One White House official said that “arming content creators with factual information and answers can be a critical tool” to fight misinformation online. With this, the White House is looking to combat online offenses, as the Russian government is now paying content creators to produce pro-Kremlin propaganda content. 

These influencers were chosen because many of them have created “explanatory content about Ukraine.” With these videos generating millions of views, it is a significant information source for young people in America and around the world. Some of the briefing participants included TikTok stars Ellie Zeiler (10m), Marcus DiPaola (3.5m), Aaron Parnas (1m), Kahlil Greene (540.7k), and Jules Terpak (270.9K).


More information can be found in The Washington Post, who first broke this story.

Trevor Noah to Entertain at 2022 WHCA Dinner

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Photo Credit: Trevor Noah/WHCA

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) announced Monday that Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” is the headline entertainer for the 2022 WHCA Dinner on April 30, 2022, at the Washington Hilton.

Noah, who will also host the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards this year, is currently on tour with his comedy show, “Back to Abnormal.”

Due to the pandemic, this year’s dinner will be the WHCA’s first since 2019. And it will be the first dinner since 2016 to feature a sitting president.

In the WHCA’s news release announcing Noah, WHCA President Steven Portnoy of CBS News Radio said, “The White House Correspondents’ Dinner celebrates Americans’ freedoms and the working people who bring the news to the world. Trevor is an incredible talent who keeps us laughing — and thinking — four nights a week. We can’t wait for him to help bring our 100-year Washington tradition ‘Back to Abnormal.”

About the WHCA

Founded in 1914, the White House Correspondents’ Association exists to promote excellence in journalism as well as journalism education, and to ensure robust news coverage of the president and the presidency. We support awards for some of the best political reporting of the past year, and scholarships for young reporters who carry our hopes for vibrant journalism in the years to come. Each day, we work to ensure that the men and women who cover the White House have the ability to seek answers from powerful officials, up to and including the President. Our association comprises hundreds of members from the worlds of print, television, radio and online journalism. Their work, for outlets based in the United States and overseas, reaches a global audience. The association has been holding an annual dinner since 1921.

WHCA Announces New Seating Chart for White House Briefing Room

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The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) announced its new seating chart for the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing, as reported by Deadline. The changes will take effect Monday, January 3, 2022.

Image courtesy of Deadline.com

WHCA President Steve Portnoy wrote in a letter to WHCA members that of the 65 news organizations and entities that received assignments, 14 were getting their first ever seats in the room, and 30 news organizations are sharing seats.

The front two rows remain unchanged:

First Row: NBC News, FOX News, CBS News, AP, ABC News, Reuters, and CNN

Second Row: The Wall Street Journal, CBS News Radio, Bloomberg, NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and USA Today

According the Deadline: “The organizations new to the seating chart from 2017: Telemundo, CNBC, The Grio, Fox Business, Nexstar, Newsy, Gray TV, EWTN, Cheddar, Hearst, Spectrum, Newsweek, The Daily Caller and The Washington Blade. All are sharing seats. Missing from the list compared to 2017: SiriusXM, Westwood One, The New York Daily News, Talk Radio News, OAN and BuzzFeed.”

AMY GRAPPONE TO MCCAIN INSTITUTE at ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

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Veteran Hill communications Director, Amy Grappone, will join the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University as a Senior Director for communications and strategic engagement. She will oversee all areas of communications. Grappone worked with Indiana Senator Todd Young for four years as his director of communications.

“Senator McCain’s lifetime of public service continues to inspire people across America and around the world. The McCain Institute brings together prominent thinkers and organizations to promote democracy, human rights, and character-driven leadership. I look forward to highlighting how the McCain Institute is working to turn ideas into action and impact,” said Amy Grappone, senior director of communications and strategic engagement. Click here for the full release.

Her Senate career began with West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito, but she worked with then-Congressman Ron DeSantis and the Mitt Romney presidential campaign. She is a graduate of Floria State University.

 

Hilary Rosen, Lisa Sherman, and Jana Rich Host DC Dinner

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While top women leaders from around the country gather for Fortune’s Most Powerful Women annual DC conference, Hilary Rosen, Vice-Chair of SKDKnick and a CNN political analyst, Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council, and Jana Rich, founder of Rich Talent Group, hosted a dinner with some of the top attendees.

Guests enjoyed a political briefing from Heather Podesta and Ashley Etienne, and the crowd applauded Rep. Karen Bass, who just announced she is running for Mayor of Los Angeles. 

Attendees included Thasunda Duckett, Kara Swisher, Kris Coratti, Bobbi Brown, Poppy Harlow, Carol Melton, Meredith Kopit Levien, Stephanie Linnartz, Katie Peters, Dara Treseder, and Ruth Marcus.

Dinner co-hosts Lisa Sherman, Hilary Rosen, and Jana Rich

 

Deputy Editorial Page Editor Ruth Marcus and Chief Communications Officer Kris Coratti, both from The Washington Post, with New York Times President & CEO Meredith Kopit Levien

 

Co-host Lisa Sherman and IBM CMO Carla Piñeyro Sublett

 

Clockwise from left:  Beauty mogul Bobbi Brown; Maryam Banikarim, Nextdoor’s Head of Marketing, Adeft Capital founder Carol Melton, Cathy Halligan, Ulta Beauty; Lynette Brubaker, founder of PR firm LHB Group; and Dayna Grayson of Construct Capital.

 

2nd Row L to R: Haddad Media CEO Tammy Haddad, Google’s Tara Walpert-Levy, Adeft Capital CEO Carol Melton, and TIAA President & CEO Thasunda Duckett. 1st Row L to R: Peloton CMO Dara Treseder, SKDK Vice Chair and co-host Hilary Rosen, and Ashley Etienne from First Lady Kamala Harris’s office.