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An Exclusive Look Into The White House Correspondents’ Weekend: The Cone of Silence Podcast Documentary

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For those who aren’t familiar with the history of the White House Correspondents’ Weekend, listen to our podcast documentary with the inside stories, background, and comedy that has made the time so unique. 

We hope you will sign up here and listen as we take you into a deep dive outlining the ins and outs of this politically charged weekend.

Kerry Washington with Tim Daly at the 2007 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch 

Christi Parsons of the Los Angeles Times and the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association leads us off.  National Journal’s George Condon and American Urban Radio’s April Ryan, author of The Presidency in Black and White, also share some terrific insights on the historic relationship between the White House and the press.

Three of the best writers in the business join us beginning with Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett, who take us inside how President Obama’s team put together his comedy routine for the WHCD – and you may be surprised who helps!  

Dame Helen Mirren signs a note of support on the Microsoft Magic Board at the 2016 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

Chris Addison, the executive producer of HBO’s VEEP who helped write, produce and direct the Vice President Joe Biden/Julia Louis-Dreyfus romp through Washington that brought down the room at last year’s WHCD, tells us how that production came together. 

Madam Secretary star Tim Daly and Robin Bronk, CEO of the Creative Coalition, talk about Hollywood’s participation in the weekend; and Captain Richard Phillips, the hero of the Maersk Alabama hijacking, shares thoughts about his weekend at the WHCD right after he was rescued.

Actors Tony Goldwyn, Bryan Cranston, Kerry Washington, and Keegan-Michael Key at the 2016 Bloomberg Vanity Fair White House Correspondents’ Dinner After-Party 

Simon Marks, CEO of Feature Story News, Julianne Donofrio and I produced this series to take people inside how the weekend actually works and how the top participants make it a must attend event. 

So download Cone of Silence with Tammy Haddad and learn more about your colleagues – and have a few laughs as you get ready for all the activities.

Here are the episode descriptions of CONE OF SILENCE White House Correspondents Weekend podcasts:

  • A Candid History of the White House and the Press
    George Condon, White House correspondent for National Journal and unofficial historian of the White House Correspondents’ Association, shares a candid and humorous history of the White House and the press and tells us there used to be more celebrities in the old days.
     
  • The Quest for “Vigorous, Adversarial” Coverage of the President
    Tribune and L.A Times White House Correspondent Christi Parsons, who also serves as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, offers a no-holds-barred plea for the urgent need for greater media access to the President and the White House. Parsons also shares how she convinced SNL‘s Cecily Strong to perform at the 2015 WHCA Dinner.
  • Using Celebrity to Drive Policy Change in Washington, DC.
    Tim Daly, star of the CBS drama Madam Secretary, and Robin Bronk, CEO of the Creative Coalition, discuss the important role Hollywood celebrities play in shining a light on policy issues important to them and millions of other Americans while mesmerizing Washingtonians when they join the White House Correspondents weekend activities.
  • Mixing Hollywood and Washington for Hilarious Results
    Actor, director, writer and producer Chris Addison talks about the peril and benefit of creating the hilarious video that teamed U.S. Vice President Joe Biden with Selina Meyer, fictional vice president of HBO’s VEEP, played by comic genius Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The result was a masterpiece that brought down the house at last year’s dinner.
  • The Role of Race in Covering the White House
    April Ryan, a White House correspondent since 1997, Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, and author of The Presidency in Black and White, shares her thoughts about covering three presidents and representing those who for too long have been removed from America’s power centers.
  • Mixing Politics with Comedy to Create the Comedian-in-Chief
    Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett, former speechwriters for President Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton – who also helped create the comedic presentations for President Obama at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner – discuss what it takes to make the President the funniest person in the room.
     
  • Captain Richard Phillips and the Impact of Accidental Celebrity
    Captain Richard Phillips, the hero of the Maersk Alabama hijacking, shares his thoughts on what happened when he attended the White House Correspondents Weekend and was thrust into the media spotlight.