White House Correspondents Insider

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

Elvis Costello Joins Samantha Bee’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner Weekend Comedy Special

By

Elvis Costello performing in 2006. Photo by Victor Diaz Lamich provided courtesy Wikipedia.

Legendary musician and songwriter Elvis Costello, known for smash hits “Allison” and “Veronica”, will be performing with his band The Imposters at the after-party following Samantha Bee’s “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner” comedy special.

Bee’s event is scheduled to take place at D.A.R. Constitution Hall a few hours before the April 29th annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. She has said her event is not an attempt to “supersede” the annual Correspondents’ Association dinner, but rather an attempt to celebrate the importance of a free press.

“We just want to be there in case something happens – or doesn’t happen. And ensure we get to properly roast the president,” Bee told the New York Times in January.

Proceeds for Bee’s event will benefit Committee to Protect Journalists, according to organizers. The show will be broadcast on TBS April 29th at 10PM EST.

Breitbart News’ Denied Permanent Senate Press Credentials, Temporary Passes Won’t Be Renewed

By

Photo courtesy Pixabay.

The application submitted by Breitbart News for press credentials to cover Congress has been set aside, and temporary credentials currently held by the conservative news website will not be renewed.

The Standing Committee of Correspondents tabled Breitbart’s application on Tuesday, stating they have significant concerns about the editorial independence of the organization.  The Committee controls membership of the Senate Press Gallery.

Breitbart News was previously run by Steve Bannon, who is the chief strategist in President Trump’s White House.  The organization has struggled to prove that it is no longer affiliated with Bannon or the other political organizations he used to coordinate.

Standing Committee chairman and Omaha World Herald journalist Joe Morton stated that Breitbart could eventually qualify for press credentials after the organization gets better established.

“They are just not ready for a credential.  They need to hire a managing editor who also does not work for an advocacy group,” Morton stated.

Senate Press Gallery rules state that permanently-credentialed reporters:

“… must not be engaged in any lobbying or paid advocacy, advertising, publicity or promotion work for any individual, political party, corporation, organization, or agency of the U.S. Government, or in prosecuting any claim before Congress or any federal government department, and will not do so while a member of the Daily Press Galleries. Applicants’ publications must be editorially independent of any institution, foundation or interest group that lobbies the federal government, or that is not principally a general news organization.”

Legendary Bob Schieffer Says To Undermine Media is to Undermine The Nation in Stunning Newseum Speech

By

Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Former CBS News “Face the Nation” moderator Bob Schieffer, one of the most widely recognized reporters of our time, delivered the concluding address today at “The President and the Press: The First Amendment in the First 100 Days” at the Newseum.

Addressing the rise of “fake news” and distractions used as political tools by campaigns, Schieffer used the example of the presidential election.

“No matter what the conversation people are having at a dinner party, if you throw a dead cat in the middle of the table, the conversation immediately turns to the dead cat. Donald Trump threw cats dead and alive on the table… And suddenly the attention was back on what he was talking about and on him,” Schieffer said.

Turning to the animosity with some government officials and the low public approval rating of the media, Schieffer concluded that journalists cannot dwell on name-calling.

“This year they hung less clever but really nasty names on us. This is all part of the job. It is something that we all know about and expect. That part is not to be taken seriously.”

Schieffer concluded by challenging journalists and the media to remain dedicated to the purpose of the industry, saying they “must give people news to improve their lives.”

“I have been a reporter for sixty years. And I have never been prouder of my profession than I am today.”

Bob Schieffer has been active in journalism since 1963, starting at the Dallas Star-Telegram. He has worked at CBS News since 1969 and moderated the Sunday CBS news show Face the Nation from 1991 to 2015.

Newseum Hosts Trump Press Sec Sean Spicer and Kellyanne Conway for Press Summit, Discusses First Amendment, Democracy, and Media

By

Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

On Tuesday, the Newseum was ground zero for a discussion on the the First Amendment, democracy, the Trump White House, and the press, from the people who are in the spotlight everyday. Panelists included current and former White House Press Secretaries led by Sean Spicer, Jen Palmieri, and Ari Fleischer, Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Fahrenthold, and writers Glenn Thrush, Mike Allen, Michael Wolff, Charlie Spiering, David Kirkpatrick, and commentators like the legendary Bob Schieffer, Brian Stelter, Bret Baier, Greta Van Susteren, Kristen Welker, Julie Pace, Carrie Budoff Brown, and Cecilia Vega.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer made headlines by continuing his apology tour for comments he made in a press briefing Monday concerning the atrocities committed by Hitler and Assad saying, “I have let the president down,” and calling his comments “inexcusable.”

Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

Presidential Counselor Kellyanne Conway, in conversation with author Michael Wolff, graded the presidency so-far and gave it an “I” for incomplete, saying it was “Too early to tell,” what would happen.

Photo courtesy Haddad Media

The New York Times’ Glenn Thrush, in a panel moderated by FOX’s Bret Baier, said, “The presidency shapes the president, not the other way around.” Breitbart’s Charlie Spiering said of senior advisor to Present Trump Steve Bannon that “[He] probably talks more to the New York Times these days than Breitbart.”

Schedule of the day’s events:

WELCOME

Jeffrey Herbst, President and CEO of the Newseum

SESSION 1: THE PRESS AS A WATCHDOG

Guest: David Fahrenthold, The Washington Post

SESSION 2: COMMUNICATING FOR THE PRESIDENT

Moderator: Mike Allen, Co-Founder and Executive Editor, Axios

Guests:

Ari Fleischer, Former White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush

Jennifer Palmieri, Former White House Communications Director for President Barack Obama

SESSION 3: CONVERSATION WITH WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY SEAN SPICER

Moderator: Greta Van Susteren, MSNBC Anchor

Guest: Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary

SESSION 4: COVERING THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE

Moderator: Bret Baier, Fox News Anchor

Guests:

Jim Acosta, White House Correspondent, CNN

Julie Pace, White House Correspondent, Associated Press; board member, White House Correspondents Association

Charlie Spiering, White House Correspondent, Breitbart News

Glenn Thrush, White House Correspondent, The New York Times

Kristen Welker, White House Correspondent, NBC News

SESSION 5: CONVERSATION WITH KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT

Moderator: Michael Wolff, The Hollywood Reporter

Guest: Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President

SESSION 6: FUTURE OF NEWS IN A DIVIDED AND CONNECTED WORLD

Moderator: Brian Stelter, CNN

Guests:

Carrie Budoff Brown, Editor, Politico

David Kirkpatrick, journalist and author of “The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World”

Cecilia Vega, White House Correspondent, ABC News

SESSION 7: A LOOK TO THE FUTURE

Guest: Bob Schieffer, former CBS News Anchor

Greta Van Susteren One-on-One with WH Press Sec Sean Spicer at the Newseum

By

Photo courtesy Haddad Media

The Newseum hosted a landmark event on Tuesday, The President and the Press: The First Amendment in the First 100 Days. As part of the series of talks, Greta Van Susteren interviewed White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who address his role in the Trump administration, the next policy pushes from the White House, and some of the recent comments he made that have made news.

Sean Spicer said of tax reform, “it’s going to take some months,” before we see a plan.

Spicer also offered an apology for his comments about World War II from the previous day saying, “I have let the president down,” and calling his comments “inexcusable.”

Van Susteren asked about the White House’s decision to skip the Correspondent’s Dinner this year. According to Spicer, “This is not the appropriate year to go…I don’t think we should fake it.”

Hasan Minjah Will Host This Year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner

By

By DoD News photo by EJ Hersom [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Hasan Minjah, senior correspondent on “The Daily Show” and stand up comedian, will be this year’s headline entertainment for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

In a statement, Minjah said “it is a tremendous honor to be a part of such a historic event even though the president has chosen not to attend this year. SAD!”

Jeff Mason, White House Correspondents Association president and journalist for Reuters, said in announcing Minjah’s role at the dinner:

“I am thrilled that Hasan will serve as our featured entertainer at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Hasan’s smarts, big heart and passion for press freedom make him the perfect fit for our event, which will be focused on the First Amendment and the importance of a robust and independent media.”

Mason also said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that while President Trump will not be in attendance at the dinner, Minjah very likely will make jokes poking at both the press and the administration, but he “was not looking for someone who would roast the president in absentia.”

President Trump announced in February he will not attend this year’s dinner, making it the first time a sitting president will not be present since 1981, when Ronald Reagan was recovering from an assassination attempt. The White House later announced no staff would attend in “solidarity” with the president.

The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner will be held on April 29 at the Washington Hilton.

News Media Alliance Launches Effort to Support Real News

By

CNBC newsroom. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

News Media Alliance President and CEO David Chavern has launched a national campaign focused on combatting the increasing prevalence of fake news. This effort, named Support Real News, is designed to highlight the importance of real journalism, and expose the harm on society by fake news outlets.

Support Real News calls on the public to bolster real journalism by taking action such as subscribing to local newspapers and supporting the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

“We are encouraged by the efforts of our members and other organizations to call attention to the growing fake news problem and to promote the value of real news,” said  Chavern. “As the association that represents the news media industry, fighting fake news is one of the most important things the News Media Alliance can do for our members right now. Our campaign raises awareness of the damage that can be and is being caused by fake news, and to demonstrate why the continued presence of real news organizations is vital to a strong democracy.”

The Alliance has created campaign resources for this effort through digital, social, video and print means, which are available on the Alliance website. These resources include colorful print and digital ads, an online video, social media graphics and profile badges, draft blog posts and an op-ed by Chavern.

“As the association that represents the news media industry, fighting fake news is one of the most important things the News Media Alliance can do for our members right now,” stated Chavern.

Breitbart Application for Permanent Congressional Press Passes Rejected

By

Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Breitbart News, the right-wing online news site formerly run by White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon, has been denied permanent press credentials by the U.S. Senate press gallery.

The press gallery has requested Breitbart to clarify questions about its ownership and funding, such as several links between the site and employees and the wealthy Mercer family, who supported President Trump during the 2016 election.  According to the Wall Street Journal, the Mercers spent $10 million in acquiring a majority interest in Breitbart News in 2011.

Senate passes are often seen as a step toward membership in the White House Correspondents Association, which would allow being part of the official White House “pool” of journalists that file reports on the president and administration activities.

Any media outlet wishing to obtain permanent access to the Capitol through press passes are required to reveal certain financial information to guarantee the news organization is not tied to a special interest group.

Additionally, the Senate press gallery committee was concerned over the office location of Breitbart, which is not zoned for office use.  Breitbart had said it was in the process of moving offices.

The committee has granted a two-month extension on Breitbart’s temporary press passes, and requested new information on the application by April 18.

State-Owned Russian News Site Applies for Press Pass

By

Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Sputnik, a Russian state-owned news outlet, has applied for a White House Press pass.

The Russian news source is asking for membership in the White House Foreign Press Group.  This group of about 22 foreign outlets covers President Trump alongside pool reporters from U.S. news outlets.

Philip Crowther, White House correspondent for France’s News24 and head of the White House Foreign Press Group, stated that there “shouldn’t be any reason” for the Russian publication to not join the press pool if they meet the required criteria.  These include membership in the White House Correspondents’ Association, verification that Sputnik is based in Russia through the U.S. State Department, and a White House-approved hard pass.

Sputnik is one of the newer Russian state-sponsored news outlets, launching in 2014.  It has received criticism of a staunch pro-Putin position and has been viewed as a mouthpiece for the Kremlin.

President Trump’s campaign and several of his top advisors have been under investigation by the FBI, as confirmed under oath by FBI Director James Comey during a Congressional hearing last week.  The agency is reviewing the possibility of any links or coordination between the campaign and Moscow.

“A tie would be nice” – How Filmmaker Joseph Fusco met Legendary NY Columnist Jimmy Breslin

By

With word of the passing of Pulitzer Prize-winning NY columnist and popular author Jimmy Breslin, fans around the world paused to remember the champion of the working class. Joseph Fusco, a filmmaker and lifelong New Yorker, considers himself one of those fans.

Fusco, Director of the documentary “Finish Line: The Rise and Demise of Off-Track Betting,” recounts how he scored an interview with his idol for the film. Breslin, known for his straight shooting and unique take on the world, did not disappoint in delivering an encounter to remember.

“Breslin was the quintessential blue-collar guy with a mean disposition and an even meaner sense of justice for the working man. And he was everywhere. He was in the Daily News. He pitched Piels Beer and Grape Nuts cereal on TV. He was a favorite on talk shows. What schlubby columnist has that kind of reach today? Jimmy Breslin oozed personality. Period.”

Reminiscing on the impact Breslin had on New York, Fusco concludes, “When I learned of his passing I realized that even titans must fade away…and how lucky we are to have them in the first place. They just don’t make ‘em like Jimmy Breslin no more.”

They certainly don’t. Rest in peace Jimmy.

(Read more from Joseph Fusco’s piece on Huffington Post here.)