White House Correspondents' Association facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | WHCA |
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| Formation | February 25, 1914 |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |
| Location | |
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President
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Tamara Keith (NPR News) |
| Steven Thomma | |
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Revenue (2015)
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$366,481 |
| Expenses (2015) | $311,090 |
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Employees (2015)
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0 |
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is a group of journalists. These journalists report on the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA started on February 25, 1914. Journalists created it because of a rumor. The rumor said a government committee might choose which journalists could attend President Woodrow Wilson's press conferences.
The WHCA works on its own, separate from the White House. It helps with important things like giving out press passes. It also helps journalists get access to the president. The WHCA also looks after the working conditions in the White House press rooms. Its most famous event is the yearly White House Correspondents' dinner. The president usually attends this dinner. News media also cover the event. Almost every president since Calvin Coolidge in 1924 has attended at least one WHCA dinner. The only exception is Donald Trump.
Contents
Who Leads the Association?
The White House Correspondents' Association has a leadership team. Here are some of the people leading the group for 2022-2023:
- Officers
- Board members
- Todd J. Gillman, from The Dallas Morning News
- Doug Mills, from The New York Times
- Justin Sink, from Bloomberg News
- Karen Travers, from ABC News
- Sara Cook, from CBS News
- Jacqui Heinrich, from Fox News
- Executive Director
- Steven Thomma
The White House Press Room
The WHCA is in charge of assigning seats. These seats are in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. This room is located inside the White House.
The White House Correspondents' Dinner
The WHCA's yearly dinner began in 1921. It has become a special tradition in Washington, D.C.. The president and vice president usually attend this event. Almost every president since Calvin Coolidge in 1924 has attended at least one dinner. The only president who did not attend was Donald Trump. The dinner usually happens on the last Saturday in April. It takes place at the Washington Hilton hotel.
Before 1962, only men could attend the dinner. But the WHCA had women members too. Helen Thomas pushed for a change. President John F. Kennedy said he would not go to the dinner unless women were allowed. So, the rule was changed.
In the past, the dinner had singing and homemade movies. It also had an hour-long show with famous performers. Since 1983, a comedian usually performs. The dinner often becomes a comedy roast. This means the comedian makes jokes about the president and their team.
The money raised from the dinner helps fund scholarships. These scholarships go to talented students. They are studying journalism in college.
Some annual dinners have been canceled or made smaller. This happened because of sad events or big problems. For example, the dinner was canceled in 1930. This was because former President William Howard Taft had died. It was also canceled in 1942 during World War II. In 1951, President Harry S. Truman canceled it. He called it the "uncertainty of the world situation." In 1981, Ronald Reagan did not attend. He was getting better after an attempted assassination the month before.
During his time as president, Donald Trump did not attend the dinners in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He thought about going in 2019. This was because that dinner did not have a comedian. However, on April 5, 2019, he said he would not go. He called the dinner "so boring, and so negative." Instead, he held a political rally in Wisconsin that evening. On April 22, Trump told his staff not to attend the dinner. But some members of his team still went to parties before and after the dinner.
Dinner Photos
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President Gerald Ford (left) with White House Correspondent Helen Thomas at the 1975 Dinner.
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President Bill Clinton (right) with television actor Mike Maronna (left) celebrating a successful online purchase in a comedic short film recorded for the 2000 Dinner.
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President George W. Bush (left) with Bush impersonator Steve Bridges in character (right) at the 2006 Dinner.
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President Barack Obama ending his final Correspondents' Dinner speech with a mic drop at the 2016 Dinner.
_White_House_Correspondent_Helen_Thomas_at_the_61st_Annual_White_House_Correspondents%27_Association_Dinner_-_NARA_-_12007115.jpg)
Awards Given by the WHCA
The WHCA gives out several awards. These awards honor excellent journalism.
The Aldo Beckman Memorial Award
This award started in 1981. It honors Aldo Beckman (1934–1980). He was a past president of the WHCA. This award goes to a Washington reporter. They must show great journalism skills. They also need to have the good personal qualities that Mr. Beckman had. The award is for overall excellence in covering the White House.
Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure
This award began in 1970. It was first called the Merriman Smith Memorial Award. It honors great reporting done very quickly. This means journalists who report news as it happens.
Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability
This award started in 2020. It gives $10,000 to a person or news team. They are recognized for brave and responsible reporting. This reporting covers important national or local topics. It honors the qualities of Katharine Graham. She was a famous former publisher of The Washington Post.
Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage by Visual Journalists
This award also started in 2020. It gives $1,000 to a video or photojournalist. It recognizes unique ways of covering the presidency. This can be breaking news, planned events, or special stories.
See also
In Spanish: Asociación de corresponsales de la Casa Blanca para niños
