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U.S. NEWS A7
Saturday 29 April 2017
At Trump-less correspondents event, focus back on journalism
JOCELYN NOVECK will also be absent, in what Kendall Jenner, this year’s will be headlining “Not the for continued arts funding.
AP National Writer was described as “solidar- big stars seem to be Wood- White House Correspon- Tim Daly of “Madam Sec-
Will Smith and George ity” with their boss. ward and Bernstein — not dent’s Dinner,” airing at 10 retary” (the group’s presi-
Clooney, step aside for Bob But even if Trump had de- Robert Redford and Dustin p.m. EDT on TBS (TV stars like dent), Keegan-Michael Key
Woodward and Carl Bern- cided to come, this year’s Hoffman, who played the Alysia Reiner of “Orange Is of “Key & Peele,” Walsh of
stein. event would have been dif- famous reporting duo, but The New Black,” Retta of “Veep,” and many others
It’s safe to say that the are scheduled to attend.
annual White House Cor- In this combination photo, Hasan Minhaj attends the 75th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony on There’s also a traditional
respondents’ Association May 21, 2016, in New York, left, and Samantha Bee attends the IWC Schaffhausen Tribeca Film garden brunch co-hosted
dinner — traditionally the Festival event on April 20, 2017, in New York. On Saturday, April 29, Minhaj will host the annual by media consultant Tam-
most glittery night on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington while Bee will be hosting the “Not the White my Haddad — who will be
Washington social calen- House Correspondents’ Dinner” in Washington. attending the correspon-
dar, where A-list celebri- dents’ dinner too, and says
ties sprinkle their stardust as (Photo by Evan Agostini, left, and Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) she’s looking forward to it.
coveted guests of media “Those celebrity spots will
organizations — will have ferent, Mason says, “based the men themselves, who’ll “Parks and Recreation,” now be taken by journal-
a different vibe this year. on the tension that has ex- be presenting journalism and Matt Walsh of “Veep” ists,” Haddad adds. “There’s
With the current president isted in the relationship and awards. Woodward told are among those sched- going to be more interest in
—highly unpopular in Hol- some of the things he has the Washington Post the uled to attend the party af- what they do. I mean, look
lywood — staying away, said about the press. We two will speak about “the terward.) at David Fahrenthold,” she
organizers say the focus were preparing for a differ- First Amendment and the Besides the high-profile af- said of the Pulitzer-winning
will not be on the red car- ent dinner either way.” importance of aggressive ter-parties (some of which Washington Post reporter,
pet but on the bedrock So as opposed to last year, but fair reporting.” have been canceled this one of the dinner’s award
principles of the event: the when guests at President There will be, as usual, a year), the correspondents’ recipients.
First Amendment and the Barack Obama’s final din- comedian emceeing the dinner has spawned a “He’s the Bono of journal-
crucial role of the press in a ner included Smith, Emma event, which will air on C- number of annual events ism. Journalists are heroes
democracy. Watson, Kerry Washington, SPAN: Hasan Minhaj, of the same weekend, like the now.” The dinner didn’t
Not that those principles Helen Mirren, the late Car- “The Daily Show.” But he fundraiser Friday night for start out as a multi-day ce-
haven’t always been cen- rie Fisher, and, for a Kar- will have competition: late- The Creative Coalition, an lebrity-studded event. Most
tral to the mission of an dashian quotient, model night star Samantha Bee advocacy group fighting trace that development to
event that began in 1921, 1987, when then-Baltimore
notes Jeff Mason, WHCA Sun reporter Michael Kelly
president. But, he says, “the brought Fawn Hall, the
focus will be entirely on that secretary in the center of
this year, and I think that’s a the Iran-Contra affair. That
great thing.” began a tradition. In 2012,
The absence of President Lindsay Lohan came as the
Donald Trump, who has guest of Fox News’ Greta
called the media “fake” Van Susteren, a develop-
and “dishonest” and even ment that earned scorn
“the enemy of the peo- from Tom Brokaw. (“Give
ple,” marks the first time me a break,” he said in an
a president has declined interview with Politico.)
since Ronald Reagan in The potentially (to some)
1981 — and he was recov- uncomfortable glitz fac-
ering from an assassination tor, not to mention the
attempt (but phoned in schmoozing of administra-
some friendly, humorous re- tion officials and journal-
marks nonetheless.) Trump ists who cover them, led a
has decided to hold a rally few news organizations to
in Pennsylvania instead, stop attending in recent
and his White House staff years.q
