Speaker 1 (00:00):
(silence)
Announcer (27:34):
Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show will begin in three minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats, the show will begin in three minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show will begin in two minutes. Again, ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show will begin in two minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show is about to begin. Again, ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show is about to begin.
Kelly Wright (30:42):
This is probably the most important place in the world.
Steve Holland (30:47):
Being able to tell the story of the White House and the President to the American people.
Haley Bull (30:51):
It is an incredible privilege and it's also a great responsibility.
Tamara Keith (30:55):
I'm not asking questions for me, I'm asking questions for everybody.
Jasmine Wright (30:58):
Without that information, they aren't able to make correct decisions about their everyday lives.
Ebony McMorris (31:04):
I feel like sometimes we're the firewall between democracy and dictatorship.
Marek Walkuski (31:09):
I come from Poland, a country that decades ago had to fight for freedom of speech. I never take it for granted.
Tamara Keith (31:16):
The White House Press Corps makes the White House better.
Christian Datoc (31:20):
They show up every day, rain or snow, and they just try to do the best work possible.
Gerren Keith Gaynor (31:24):
I saw a great need for reporters reflecting black America to be in the room.
Ebony McMorris (31:30):
We tell the same stories as everybody else, but there's another addition to that and that is also fighting oppression.
Kelly Wright (31:35):
It's an adrenaline rush. You got to strap on, put your seatbelt on, put your thinking cap on.
Steve Holland (31:40):
We get to ask the tough questions
Tia Mitchell (31:42):
And get a deeper understanding of what the executive branch is doing and how it impacts people all across the nation.
Marek Walkuski (31:48):
The best part of working here, being able to work along the best reporters.
Christian Datoc (31:54):
Being kept on my toes, meeting new people.
Haley Bull (31:57):
The camaraderie amongst the White House Press Corps.
Gerren Keith Gaynor (32:00):
Being able to learn from them, and grow with them, and do this work together.
Jasmine Wright (32:04):
Being able to walk up Pebble Beach every day and see the White House.
Kelly Wright (32:08):
To meet these grounds are hallowed grounds.
Marek Walkuski (32:11):
My workspace is between literally President's bedroom and his office.
Ebony McMorris (32:17):
It's the best feat in the world as far as I can tell.
Tamara Keith (32:19):
In the White House, y'all.
Announcer (32:27):
Live from Washington D.C. It's the 2025 White House Correspondents dinner. Now here's your host, Senior Washington Correspondent for MSNBC and the President of the White House Correspondents Association. Eugene Daniels.
Eugene Daniels (32:54):
Hello, hello. Good evening and welcome again to the White House Correspondents Dinner. Before we get kicked off, I want to shout out all of the people who have helped put this together. Bob Bain, the Executive Producer, his team, and all the people who have been walking around giving us food. Was it good? Was it good? Okay, good, good, good. I picked it. I picked it.
(33:19)
We celebrate journalism tonight. As I promised, it's just us. We also celebrate the individuals who over the last year, who have provided us insight and images. Thank you to those of you from the video who helped to remind all of us of the real reason we come together tonight and go to work every single day. The lion's share of tonight's program will focus on excellence from across the beat. The best of us who sacrifice everything to ensure the public has the access to hear, see, and know what is going on with their elected leaders. This first tranche of awards are WHCA Awards in Reporting, Writing and Photography by our members. To help me out, anchor of CNN's News Night with Abbie Phillip, Abbie Phillip.
Abbie Phillip (34:16):
Hello. Hello everyone. Good evening, and thank you very much, Eugene. It is great to be here. All of the entries for the WHCA Journalism Awards are reviewed by a panel of independent judges who then determine a winner. You can find the links to these winning entries on the WHCA website, and I would encourage you all to do so.
(34:44)
I am here and so proud to announce three of this year's winners. The WHCA gives out two awards for reporting under deadline pressure, one for print and one for broadcast. Each award includes a prize of $2,500. The WHCA Award for Excellence, y'all, that is some good money. Thank you. The WHCA Award for Excellence Under Deadline Pressure for Broadcast goes to Rachel Scott of ABC News. The judges said that, "Scott's reporting in the chaotic aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump's life was unflappable and authoritative. When the Secret Service tried to clear the area, Scott stood her ground. She provided and confirmed verifiable facts, as well as eyewitness accounts of the shooting amid the mayhem after the shooting." Please join me in welcoming and celebrating once again the winner of the Excellence under Deadline Pressure Award for Broadcast, Rachel Scott.
Rachel Scott (36:13):
Good evening. Thank you. I am deeply humbled and honored to be recognized by the White House Correspondents Association tonight and to accept this award on behalf of ABC News. Journalism at its core is the act of bearing witness. We in this room, we're not just storytellers, we are also witnesses to history. And that comes with a deep responsibility to report with clarity, accuracy, and integrity even in moments of panic and distress. Tonight, I want to commend all of the journalists and photographers who did just that on July 13th in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a campaign rally quickly turned into an attempted assassination of President Trump. Three people were struck by bullets that afternoon. One lost his life, shielding his family. Two others suffered life-altering injuries. And when the gunfire erupted, photographers, camera operators, and journalists in this very room ducked for cover, but they never stopped filming. They never stopped reporting.
(37:36)
No one hesitated to look out for each other. Jake Traylor, who was there from NBC, shielded some of us on the ground as we dove for cover. Olivia Rinaldi from CBS kept us all calm. And I was very lucky that day to be working alongside two of the best producers and reporters that I know, Ben Siegel and Leila Ipsa.
(38:03)
Amid the chaos, it was Ben's quick thinking that got us on the air. His composure and his clear-eyed directions that kept our team grounded. Our crew was forced to leave their camera gear on the press riser. So our ever-so-scrappy embed, leila Ipsa stepped in. She grabbed her own producer camera, handed me a pair of wired headphones and would spend the next three hours shooting our live breaking news coverage. It is that type of dedication and resilience that represents the very best of our industry. And it's because of their work and the work of Senior Producers and Executive Producers like Mark Burstein, Claire Brinberg, Sean Francis, who rush in at a moment's notice and put their own lives on hold so the world can stay informed. And of course, we cannot continue to report boldly and fearlessly without the support of our network leadership and our families at home.
(38:59)
So tonight I want to give a special and sincere thank you to Deborah O'Connell, Amin Karamedovic, and our Bureau Chief, Rick Klein. And on a personal note, tonight is extra special because my mom is here to share this evening with me from California. Thank you, mom for your support. Again, thank you for this honor. And may we continue to uphold the responsibility of bearing witness no matter where the story takes us. Thank you.
Abbie Phillip (39:36):
Congratulations, Rachel. And now on to the WHCA Award for Presidential News Coverage by Visual Journalists. This award recognizes a video or photo journalist for uniquely covering the Presidency at the White House or in the field. This could be breaking news, a scheduled event, or featured coverage. This award also comes with a prize of $2,500, and it goes to Doug Mills of the New York Times.
(40:16)
The winning photograph shows President Joe Biden walking from the podium in the White House after the signing ceremony for the 95.3 billion package of Aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. This is what the judges said about this extraordinary photograph.
(40:33)
"A somber president Joe Biden then wrestling with historic challenges, from international crises to domestic calls for him to end his reelection campaign, is centered in the image, yet surrounded and visually almost overwhelmed by the physical infrastructure and historic weight of the White House. The only other living human in the picture is looking away from Biden, but the President is not unseen. He moves under the gaze of a reflective president Lincoln, completing the striking portrait of both a sitting President and the Presidency itself." Here to accept this award is the inimitable Doug Mills himself.
Doug Mills (41:19):
Wow. Thanks so much. Look at all you beautiful people out here. It's a real honor to be recognized for this award and I really appreciate it. Thank you to the WHCA Board and all of the judges, and thanks to my incredible boss from the New York Times, Megan Lorem, and political editors, Greg Kindleball, Risa Swartz, and Jeff Fratella. I couldn't do this job without them. They inspire me each and every day and give me the freedom to be creative and competitive at the same time, and that's a real struggle for most of us.
(42:14)
This photo reflects a quiet moment for President Biden after he just finished making remarks and signed a bill for aid to Ukraine. This was not the photo op that we thought was going to happen when we walked in the East Room. In fact, just before the President arrived in the room, we found out that he'd already signed the bill. We were thinking that we were going to get him signing the bill. So that made it more challenging, and luckily, I had put down a remote camera on the ground, and had a wireless transmitter to fire it on the ground, trying to preconceive what was going to happen and where he was going to be. And luckily that moment happened. So I'm very honored that the judges appreciated it. And thank you for the award.
(43:03)
But before I go, I'd like to make a few shout-outs if it's all right. First of all, to my dear friend colleague, Andy Harnick. Thank you for your tireless efforts this year. It was a brutal year. We appreciate it. The still photographers in this town really appreciate your leadership. Thank you for everything you did.
(43:27)
And speaking of photographers in Washington, thanks for all the photographers in this wonderful city who are pushing this old man along and keeping me young, because the more I get to see their work, it makes me a better photographer and I really enjoy it, and that's why I'm still doing it at my old age. This town is loaded with talented photographers and it's a real honor to work alongside of them. And lastly, as we all know, we can't do our jobs without our support from home. I'm incredibly lucky. I have an incredibly supportive wife. Kate, I can't thank you enough for all your support and I love you. As we all know, it's not easy being on the road for 200 days during a campaign year, and it really takes a toll sometimes, and I appreciate everything you do for me, Kate. I'm also very lucky to have two wonderful daughters who are just as supportive. Ellie and Raleigh, they're just amazing young women, both in great careers, and they're equally supportive, and thankfully they keep me grounded. So thank you all very much for this. Thank you.
Abbie Phillip (44:51):
Thank you, Doug. And finally, the Print award goes to Amar Mondani and Zeke Miller of the Associated Press. This is the Print Award for Reporting Under Deadline Pressure. And here's what the judges said about their submission.
(45:13)
"Mondani and Miller caught the White House Press Office trying to alter the official account of history, the White House transcript of President Biden's use of the word garbage to describe Donald Trump's supporters. On deadline, Mondani and Miller captured the conflict between federal workers who document the President's words for posterity, and the political appointees trying to protect their boss. Please welcome the winners of Excellence under Deadline Pressure Award for Print, Amar Badani and Zeke Miller.
(45:48)
I'm going to do [inaudible 00:46:00].
Zeke Miller (46:00):
Okay.
Amar Badani (46:21):
Well, thank you White House Correspondents Association for this recognition. It's really special. This has been a challenging couple of months for AP's White House Crew, so this means a whole lot to our entire team. We're lucky to work with a group that has no shortage of talent and grit. They've never wavered in their commitment to covering the White House factually and accurately.
(46:44)
So thank you, Darlene Superville, Evan Vucci, Alex, Brandon, will Weiser, Josh Boak, Chris McGarian, Michelle Price, Sung Min Kim, Fatima Hussein, Mark Schiffelbein, Jacqueline Martin, Manny Sonata, Sagar Magani, Dan Huff. And I can't forget our magician editors, nancy Bennett and Ashley Thomas. And, of course, Zeke, who's the captain of our team. Thank you, Zeke.
(47:25)
All of us are privileged to be part of the AP's nearly 180 year mission dedicated to journalism that advances the power of facts. That's what we do, and we're going to keep doing, no matter which party is in the White House. And just finally, please indulge me for one last thank you to my wife Katie, and our daughter Layla, who are not only endlessly patient, but the best hype ladies a guy could have. Thank you.
Zeke Miller (47:58):
Thank you, Amar, our entire team, and to my family for their support. For nearly 180 years, The Associated Press has served as the eyes and ears of the American public and audiences around the world. It brings stories of human triumph and tragedy, and everything in between, to billions of people of all nationalities and political persuasions every single day. At the AP's core is a commitment to accurate, independent, nonpartisan journalism that unflinchingly holds power to account, no matter which political party is in office. Its reporting is that contemporaneous draft of history that reveals the decisions and impacts brought by global policymakers. It safeguards the facts that keep a citizenry well-informed.
(48:41)
Mark Twain said it, "There are only two forces that can carry light to all corners of the globe, the sun and the heavens, and the Associated Press down here." From the White House to the town of White House, Texas. It's a real place. Peoria to the Persian Gulf. We at AP remain committed as ever to accurate, independent, nonpartisan journalism. To carrying light the world over. Serving as a White House Correspondent is the privilege of a lifetime. It is also a responsibility, one we all take seriously today and for generations to come. Thank you.
Eugene Daniels (49:36):
Next up, if it's Saturday, it must be the moderator of Meet the Press. Please welcome, Kristen Welker.
Kristen Welker (49:46):
Thank you, Eugene, for that amazing introduction.
Kristen Welker (50:00):
… introduction, and thank you to the entire White House Correspondents' Association, the board. I know you've worked so hard on this beautiful evening. We really appreciate it. So, thank you to all of you. And good evening, everyone.
Speaker 2 (50:15):
Hello.
Kristen Welker (50:17):
The Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence is named for a past president of the association, the late Chicago Tribune, Washington correspondent Aldo Beckman. The award was established in 1981 to recognize a correspondent who personifies the journalistic excellence and personal qualities of Aldo Beckman: impartiality, integrity, and a deep knowledge of the presidency. The award also includes a prize of $2,500.
(50:51)
This year's award goes to Alex Thompson of Axios. The judges said, "Thompson's aggressive reporting on President Biden, especially leading up to and after the Trump-Biden debate revealed the President's cognitive decline was impacting his ability to do his job, information the White House tried to conceal." Ladies and gentlemen, the White House Correspondents' Association is pleased to give the Aldo Beckman Award to Alex Thompson. We'll get a picture.
Alex Thompson (51:54):
Oh, sorry. Okay, I got it. Indulge me, because I have a lot of thank-yous. Thank you first to my mom, to my dad, to my stepmom and dad, to my siblings, Austin, Jesse, and Allison, to my nephew, Theo. Thank you to Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen, two of the all-time greats of Washington journalism, for building Axios, for hiring me, for having my back the entire way and for encouraging me to keep digging. Thank you to Cox for investing and believing in the importance of trustworthy journalism. Thank you to Aja Whitaker-Moore, Kate Marino, and David Lindsey for your leadership of our newsroom. That's right.
(52:47)
Thank you to my reporting partners in the Biden beat, the great Hans Nichols, yes, thank you, and the reigning champion of this award, Barak Ravid. Thank you to Jonathan Swan, a fellow reigning champion of this award, for Axios, for telling me I should go and work for Axios. Thank you Bradley Singer and WME for being world-class and representing journalists. Thank you to mentors like Maureen Dowd, Peter Canellos, and Mike Tackett. I wouldn't be standing here without you. Thank you to Jake Tapper for being a fearless reporting partner for a book on this very topic. It's my speech, so a nakedly shameless plug that Original Sin is available for pre-order right now. And thank you, most of all, to my sources for trusting me.
(53:50)
One serious note. To my bones, I believe that reporting and the White House Correspondents' Association is as necessary as ever. President Biden's decline and its cover up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story and some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows.
(54:45)
I say this because acknowledging errors builds trust and being defensive about them further erodes it. We should have done better. I believe our mission is vital in a world where people are struggling to figure out what's true and people with power are not telling the truth. I also believe that this association has been, is, and will continue to be critical to that mission. Thank you to the association's leadership for your unflinching defense of the First Amendment, not just now, but always. Your decades of daily battles on behalf of reporters is why this award is one of the great honors of my life. Oh, one last thing. I love you, Mom. Thank you, guys.
Speaker 3 (56:01):
The other side.
Kristen Welker (56:05):
Thank you. Alex, congratulations, and we can't wait to read your book. The Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability has been presented since 2020. Named for the distinguished former publisher of The Washington Post, it recognizes an individual or a news-gathering team for coverage of subjects and events of significant national or regional importance. And this comes with a prize of $10,000. It sounds pretty good.
(56:42)
This year, the award goes to Reuters for Fentanyl Express. The judges said, "This story powerfully brings the international drug trade of fentanyl and its deadly processes alive to its readers. The Fentanyl series demonstrates the humongous global problem that is impacting families and communities in the U.S. and abroad. Fentanyl continues to be of significant national importance due to its human impact, and this reporting exemplifies the professional qualities of the late Katherine Graham." The White House Correspondents' Association is pleased to give the Katherine Graham Award to Reuters.
Speaker 4 (57:32):
Accepting on behalf of Reuters is Maurice Tamman, Stephen Eisenhammer, and Daisy Chung.
Maurice Tamman (58:05):
Evening, everyone. This has been a remarkable, sometimes harrowing, often fraught journey for the Reuters Fentanyl Express team. With less than $4,000 in Bitcoin and chemicals and supplies, we bought enough to make millions of dollars of the narcotic. We showed how these raw materials were funneled into Mexico from the U.S. and onto the country's streets, fueling a decades-long overdose epidemic.
(58:42)
These are the folks who made the series possible. The project editor, Marla Dickinson in LA, Laura Gottesdiener, Stephen Eisenhammer, Draz Jorgic in Mexico, Daisy Chung and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco. Michael Martina and Fielding Cage here in D.C. Ant Slodkowski, excuse me, and Engen Tham in China. Shannon Stapleton, Andrew Kelly, John Emerson, Chris Lee in New York City. Fumika Inui in Japan, Mike Blake in LA, Daniel Becerril in Mexico, Katherine Tai in Australia. Also, Mike Williams, who put faith and trust in this loony idea in the first place. And thanks to the Reuters leadership, who show their ambition by investing in such projects.
(59:33)
As I said, it wasn't an easy journey, and at every torturous turn, I found solace in Johnny Cash's Man in Black, which was written almost 55 years ago, and it remains as relevant today as it was in 1971. It reminded me that we were in the service of the poor and beaten down, who struggle with addiction, and the nearly 450,000 people whose bad trip left them cold. So, I leave you with this, and apologies to Mr. Cash, "I'd love to wear a rainbow every day and tell the world that everything's okay, but we should try and carry off a little darkness on all of our backs. Till things are brighter, we are all the man in black." Thank you.
Kristen Welker (01:00:34):
Congratulations to Reuters. Finally, for me, at least, the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability presented by the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Named for Peter Fenelon Collier, who founded Collier's, a weekly magazine focused on investigative journalism and publishing stories, this comes with a check for $25, 000.
(01:01:07)
You can keep clapping. This year, the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability Award goes to the Associated Press for Prison to Plate: Profiting Off America's Captive Workforce. Awarding this prize, the University of Florida said, "In their three-part series, reporters Margie Mason and Robin McDowell exposed how deeply our supply chain relies on prison labor as well as the deplorable conditions of the imprisoned workers." They said that, "This ambitious and deeply reported project combined the best of data-driven journalism with old-fashioned shoe leather reporting to reveal how major American corporations and state prison systems financially benefited from the exploitation of prison labor." The White House Correspondents' Association is pleased to give the Collier Prize to the Associated Press.
Speaker 4 (01:02:17):
Accepting the Collier Prize for the Associated Press is Margie Mason.
Abbie Phillip (01:02:44):
I am very proud to be representing the Associated Press tonight. Very proud. Good evening, everyone, and thank you. Robin McDowell and I have worked closely together as AP reporters for the past two decades, always holding power to account by shining a light and giving voice to those who have been silenced. After years of exposing labor abuses overseas, we returned to the U.S. and we were surprised to find another chapter of that reporting here in American prisons. Incarcerated men and women were being forced to work for pennies an hour or nothing at all, sometimes in triple-digit heat in the same fields where slaves once toiled. Those laborers could be punished if they refused, and they were often denied the same rights and protections guaranteed to most other American workers, even if they were seriously hurt on the job.
(01:03:52)
We submitted public records requests in all 50 states, seeking the names of companies that were buying goods produced by prisoners. When corrections departments balked, we staked out prisons for weeks, tailed work release vans, and followed prisoner-raised cattle 600 miles from the Louisiana State Penitentiary to a slaughterhouse in Texas, connecting the beef to some of America's biggest companies.
(01:04:21)
We are honored to receive the Collier Prize tonight. We thank those who established this award to recognize the importance of state government accountability reporting, which we could not do without the press freedoms guaranteed to us under the First Amendment. We also thank our editors and our colleagues at Associated Press, who helped us and supported us on this journey. This kind of work is hard and it's sometimes dangerous. It takes time and resources that are in short supply, but all of us in this room tonight have a responsibility to keep shining a light. Thank you.
Eugene Daniels (01:05:28):
One of the great things this board is able to do is to find new ways to celebrate excellence, to work with new partners. In that vein, I am very pleased to announce that we are presenting for the first time this year, a new prize of $25,000 thanks to the Arkansas-based Center for Integrity in News Reporting. Like the Collier Award, it will be administered independently, but presented here at the dinner. To announce the first winner of this award, here is co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS News Hour, Amna Nawaz.
Amna Nawaz (01:06:15):
Hello, friends. So, the Center for Integrity in News Reporting was created to address the public's declining trust in news reporting. It aims to restore that trust by encouraging and rewarding impartial, objective and fair journalism. It will present its awards for print, broadcast, cable network, and digital reporting next month. But this one, the Center for News Integrity Award, will be presented here tonight at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
(01:06:46)
The award honors the most fair, impartial objective news reporting by a member of the WHCA "that has the courage to not fear and the discipline to not favor." And as Eugene said, it also comes with a prize of $25,000, which is a lot of eggs these days. This inaugural award goes to Anthony Zurcher of BBC News for Joe Biden Faces the Diplomatic and Political Consequences of the Gaza War. The Center said, "These articles exemplify impartial reporting by presenting the complexities of the Israel-Gaza conflict with clarity, restraint, and a commitment to balance. They neither sensationalize events nor take sides. Instead, offering a rigorous examination of the political and humanitarian stakes." I am honored to present the Center for News Integrity Award to Anthony Zurcher.
Anthony Zurcher (01:08:02):
Thank you. I appreciate it. I'm told that we're the entertainment for the evening, so this is what you get. I'm from Texas, and usually, when there's this many people in one room, it's a sporting event, but I appreciate it. I'd like to thank the Center for Integrity in News Reporting for this award. Now, more than ever, it's important for those of us in the media to provide impartial and fair reporting without favor or fear. And when I say fear, I mean fear of the fallout from our stories, fear of what people in power may say, do, or think. And maybe that's something you learned the first day in journalism school, but I think it lands differently now. I think it means something more now.
(01:08:47)
I'd also like to thank my colleagues at BBC News back there at the table. I think they're ordering another bottle of wine right now. And it is a core value of the BBC to have independent and meaningful journalism, and I'm honored to be a part of that. I appreciate the fact that they've allowed me to cover the White House and the fraught diplomatic and political fallout from the Gaza War. I'd also like to thank my wife, Joanne, who's back there somewhere, and my two boys. Without their love and support, none of this would've been possible. So, enjoy the wine, enjoy the evening, enjoy the camaraderie, and to my journalist colleagues, tomorrow and Monday, get out there. Keep pushing, keep fighting, and keep being fearless. Thank you very much. Thanks, Eugene.
Eugene Daniels (01:09:45):
Thank you. Our final award tonight is a special one, the Dunnigan-Payne Prize for Lifetime Career Achievement. It's named for two trailblazing women, Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne, the first two Black women to serve in the White House Press Corps. Many of us are here because they kicked down some doors for us, including BlackPressUSA's April Ryan, who's with us tonight. This year, April has officially become the longest serving African American White House correspondent in history. Thank you. April, Ms. Dunnigan and Ms. Payne would have been so proud of you, and so are we.
(01:10:47)
Another person who stood on the shoulders of these women was Robert Munroe Ellison, or Bob, an unassuming quiet storm who was the White House correspondent for what was Sheridan Broadcasting and is now the American Urban Radio Network. Bob was also, until I became president, the only Black journalist to serve as president of our organization. I'm honored to continue his legacy and excited to introduce all of you to him now.
Robert Munroe Ellison (01:11:20):
After an organization has done its job, presented the news, be it TV, radio, print, it is up to the viewer, listener, reader to go out and find other sources of information of… Any one is not the end all and be all.
Speaker 5 (01:11:40):
Born in 1942, Bob Ellison grew up in segregation era Bronx and Queens, a gifted track and field athlete and insatiably curious student. Bob earned a bachelor's degree in education, then reinvested it into the community, teaching junior high history in his hometown of Queens for the next five years. But Bob's commitment to education knew no borders. He joined USAID, evaluating education projects in Ethiopia, Bangkok, and Thailand, all with his family in tow. In 1978, Bob moved to Washington, D.C., feeding his curiosity first as a newscaster for WOOK, then as a White House reporter for what is now the American Urban Radio Network.
Michael Ellison (01:12:26):
I don't know that he got into it with his eyes on the White House. I think he always wanted to be a news reporter. The grassroots journalists had to really be journalists and be reporters and investigators and writers. He didn't have a whole staff of people to just feed him notes or what have you.
Speaker 5 (01:12:43):
Bob covered the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations. He interviewed celebrities, heads of state and political icons alike.
Michael Ellison (01:12:52):
I think he was very honored that the association trusted him, and they had respect for him and for his craft. I can remember him, in his own words, saying that, "How I perform in this duty impacts other people who look like me and their opportunity to do the same and greater things than what I'm doing." He never made a big deal of it, but he would say little things like, "I met Nelson Mandela today. He's a great man. Great moment."
Speaker 5 (01:13:16):
Bob gave his listeners concise and accurate reports on major issues from a uniquely Black perspective.
Michael Ellison (01:13:25):
My father rarely spoke about racism, bias, and prejudice. He would point it out when he saw it, but he never spoke about it as an impediment to him. He might give us an example of, "Somebody said something that's a little bit sideways." And I said, "So, what did you say, Dad?" I asked him to say it again. And he just had this long pregnant pause. "Okay, Dad, and then what happened?" "Nothing. He didn't say it again."
Speaker 5 (01:13:52):
In 1991, Bob became the first African American president of the White House Correspondents' Association.
Michael Ellison (01:13:59):
I think he was very honored that the association trusted him, and they had respect for him and for his craft.
Speaker 5 (01:14:06):
Finally, it was that famously quiet, humble, and passionate reporter's moment in the spotlight.
Michael Ellison (01:14:13):
The night of the actual dinner is when it really hit home for all of us, and seeing all the pomp and circumstance and that my father was at the center of it all. It was just a line of people just coming through, thanking him for the job that he did and talking about how much he moved the association forward and what his presidency meant.
Speaker 5 (01:14:29):
Bob lined the dais with civil rights icons and selected famed comedian Sinbad to perform before President George Bush and the first lady. Bob left us in 2010, but his legacy lives on in the two things he loved the most: his work and his family.
Eugene Daniels (01:14:51):
Now, when I asked Mike
Eugene Daniels (01:15:00):
What he remembered about his dad when he was reporting, he was covering the White House. He said, "I just remember him being really tired," and that hit home for me and I know it hit home for all of you. I'm delighted and honored to present his Dunnigan Payne Prize for Lifetime Career Achievement covering the White House to three of his children, Robert, Michelle and Michael Ellison.
Announcer (01:15:22):
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the vice president of the WHCA CBS's Senior White House Correspondent, Weijia Jiang.
Abbie Phillip (01:16:18):
Thank you. Good evening. Hello everyone. For 34 years, WHCA has encouraged and supported young journalists who aspire to report on government, politics and of course, the White House, the best beat in town coming from a completely unbiased source. This year we awarded scholarships to 30 students from 14 colleges and universities, including a new grant at the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications at Hampton University. The WHCA also increased its financial support of eight other scholarships across the country. Of course, the only reason we are able to offer financial help is because of you. Thank you for your continued support, especially during this challenging time. This dinner is the primary fundraiser to ensure we can continue supporting the next generation of reporters. Let's hear from them now.
Speaker 7 (01:17:33):
An independent free press is important to me.
Speaker 8 (01:17:35):
Because it gives a voice to the voiceless.
Speaker 9 (01:17:37):
Because we can hold power to account.
Speaker 10 (01:17:39):
Keep the powerful accountable.
Speaker 6 (01:17:40):
By ensuring that people in positions of power are held accountable.
Speaker 11 (01:17:44):
Because it is crucial that those in power be held to account.
Speaker 12 (01:17:46):
Without restrictions or restraints.
Speaker 13 (01:17:48):
We aim to hold governments accountable.
Speaker 14 (01:17:51):
Because the government works for us.
Speaker 15 (01:17:53):
A free press protects not just our right to information, but our ability to meaningfully participate in the democratic process.
Speaker 16 (01:18:00):
Because we're interconnected with the rest of the world.
Speaker 17 (01:18:02):
Because some stories are going to upset people and we should still tell those stories.
Speaker 18 (01:18:06):
Operating independently allows us to do this to the best of our ability.
Speaker 19 (01:18:09):
To make society better through our storytelling.
Speaker 20 (01:18:12):
Because it holds the power to amplify our voices that are often silence.
Speaker 21 (01:18:16):
Journalism is a pillar of our democracy.
Speaker 22 (01:18:18):
From a city hall in Kansas all the way to the White House.
Speaker 23 (01:18:20):
Because it demands transparency.
Speaker 24 (01:18:22):
And keeps the public informed
Speaker 25 (01:18:24):
The sprawling landscape of artificial intelligence, disinformation and misinformation.
Speaker 26 (01:18:28):
Social media and misinformation running rampant.
Speaker 27 (01:18:31):
Ensures accountability, transparency and informed public.
Speaker 28 (01:18:35):
And independent for price is the bridge between truth and understanding.
Speaker 29 (01:18:38):
Because as journalists, it is our duty to serve as a watchdog.
Speaker 30 (01:18:42):
Because of the vital watchdog role it plays.
Speaker 31 (01:18:44):
Which allows for a fully functioning democratic society.
Speaker 32 (01:18:47):
Freedom as a whole depends on it.
Speaker 33 (01:18:48):
It because that is why I got into the journalism field in the first place.
Speaker 34 (01:18:52):
Where are they going to find accurate information while also finding a place where their voices can't be amplified so they can feel seen and heard? Us, the independent free press.
Abbie Phillip (01:19:12):
Yesterday was an incredibly special day. We have a tradition of bringing the students to the White House, and I didn't tell them that we were planning a surprise because it might've fallen apart and I didn't want to get their hopes up. But when they came, they attended President Trump's Marine One departure on the South Lawn, and as many of you know, that never gets old no matter how many times you are able to watch the president lift off. They also attended a briefing with White House Press secretary Caroline Levitt, and asked some tough questions. They met with their mentors who are all members of the WHCA and heard from several working journalists including past scholarship winners who are working here in Washington today. Thank you colleagues for being so generous with your time. It is not an easy time to embark on a career in journalism, but the American public would not be served by journalists who are looking for an easy assignment. The winners are all here with us tonight. Scholars, if you could please stand. Congratulations. Congratulations. We are so proud of you.
Eugene Daniels (01:20:52):
As you all know, every year we invite the president to this dinner. For decades, presidents on both sides of the political spectrum get gussied up and join us. I want to be clear about something. We don't invite presidents of the United States to this because it's for them. We don't invite them because we want to cozy up to them or curry favor. We don't only extend invites to the presidents who say they love journalists or who say they're defenders of the First Amendment in a free press. We invite them to remind them that they should be.
(01:21:25)
We invite them to demonstrate that those of us who have chosen the public service of journalism aren't doing it because we love flights on Air Force One or walking into the Oval Office. It's to remind them why a strong fourth estate is essential for democracy. Why? At the end of the day, it's good for them. Even among the most free nations, the WHCA, what we do is unique. It is an example of American exceptionalism. Though we don't have the current president with us tonight, we wanted to hear from some of those who have been gracious enough to sit among the White House Press Corps.
Speaker 35 (01:22:13):
Members of the White House, Correspondents Association, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, here I am.
Speaker 36 (01:22:25):
I have actually shown up here for eight straight years. Looking back, that was probably a mistake.
Speaker 37 (01:22:36):
After all, I believe in the First Amendment, not just because my good friend Jimmy Madison wrote it.
Speaker 38 (01:22:43):
Of course, the White House Correspondents dinner is known as the Prom of Washington DC, a term coined by political reporters who clearly never had the chance to go to an actual prom.
Speaker 39 (01:22:56):
I know it's getting late here, but it's not often that we have so many people who've written about us and broadcast about us all together in one room like this, and I thought you might like to say a few nice words to them.
Speaker 38 (01:23:09):
I have the greatest respect and admiration for what you do. I know sometimes you like to give me a hard time, and I certainly like to return the favor, but I never forget that our country depends on you. You help protect our freedom, our democracy, and our way of life.
Speaker 36 (01:23:32):
And sometimes I think we forget that we're all people. We're all trying to do our jobs as best we can.
Speaker 40 (01:23:40):
As I speak, men and women in uniform are taking great risks and so are many journalists.
Speaker 41 (01:23:46):
Working endless hours, putting themselves in harm's way, trying to give the American people the best and most accurate account possible.
Speaker 36 (01:23:54):
The roots of at home and ethnic cleansing and racial hatred abroad are of great complexity and difficulty.
Speaker 40 (01:24:03):
Because of journalists who accepted risk and hardship, the first draft of history has been vivid and has been moving.
Speaker 38 (01:24:11):
Your ultimate success as an industry is essential to the success of our democracy.
Speaker 37 (01:24:19):
You make it possible for ordinary citizens to question authority and yes, even to laugh at authority without fear or intimidation.
Speaker 35 (01:24:28):
And I ask the American people to remember what it is we are fighting for. A world in which the dignity of humanity counts for more than the differences of humanity. For human differences when celebrated but contained, can make life a lot more interesting, but when unleashed as weapons of war, soon make it unbearable.
Speaker 42 (01:24:54):
And yet there's that certain spirit that's very hard to describe, but the spirit says, we'll come back. We'll make it back.
Speaker 36 (01:25:03):
Each of us must serve you and your way, be in mine. You can start right now by busing your own tables and helping with the dishes.
Speaker 37 (01:25:16):
To a free press, to an informed citizenry, to an America where freedom and democracy endure. God bless America. Thank you very much.
Speaker 42 (01:25:27):
Thank you very, very much.
Speaker 36 (01:25:29):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 37 (01:25:30):
Thank you. Thank you.
Speaker 38 (01:25:31):
And with that I just have two more words to say, Obama.
Eugene Daniels (01:25:49):
As we end tonight, yes, I said as we end, I know it's a little earlier than usual, we stand together in a shared commitment to the ideals that have defined our nation's democratic principles, transparency, accountability, and the free flow of information. When Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1786 that, "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press and that cannot be limited without being lost," he and the other framers of the United States understood the danger unchecked power poses to the ideals and people of this nation. For more than 100 years, the White House Correspondents Association has played a vital role in ensuring that the American public has access to the truth, no matter how difficult or how complex it is. And in America, the truth is usually complex and often difficult.
(01:26:44)
Our responsibility is not to align with any one party or any one agenda, but to serve the people of this country with integrity and dedication. It is the duty we hold in the highest regard, knowing that the work we do helps strengthen the fabric of our democracy. Given that complexity, I'd like to reintroduce you to our association. We are more than 900 members strong, representing nearly 300 news outlets. These include 99 broadcast outlets, 74 print, 45 digital outlets, 38 multimedia outlets, 29 local US-based news outlets from 18 different states, 19 agencies or associations, and 29 new media outlets. And for decades we have been expanding the makeup of our membership. As the media landscape has changed, as technology has changed, our association has evolved with it.
(01:27:41)
We, journalists are a lot of things. We are competitive and pushy. We are impatient and sometimes we think we know everything, but we are also human. We miss our families and significant life moments in service to this job. We care deeply about accuracy and take seriously the heavy responsibility of being stewards of the public's trust. What we are not is the opposition. What we are not is the enemy of the people, and what we are not is the enemy of the state. As long as there have been journalists, people who see it as their calling to dig through files, root out corruption, hold the powerful to account, there have been leaders who want to stop them, people who would go to extreme lengths to keep the truth hidden from the very people who put them in power.
(01:28:48)
In this room today, at table 162 is a woman who has been fighting for 13 years for the release and return of her son, Austin Tice, a Washington Post reporter, a Marine Corps veteran, and currently, the longest detained American journalist. Austin should be free and with his family tonight as we have done for years, we again ask the president, do all you can to bring him home. And to Deborah Tice, we stand with you and we thank you for your courage.
(01:29:43)
This association, folks in this room asked the other presidents to do everything in their power to bring Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich home. After nearly 16 months of detention in Russia, Evan came home on August 1st of last year. Evan, we are so, so happy to have you back. But the attacks on journalists don't stop at our borders. Every single day, journalists in this country face threats of intimidation, lawsuits, and violence. Those attacks are meant to do one thing, stop us from sharing the truth with the people. To our friends at the Associated Press, you have taken on more than you should have to, but what you have held firm to from the very beginning is that your fight is not about you. It's about the ability of every single person in this room to make free and independent editorial decisions without government interference.
(01:30:44)
To Julie Pace, executive editor and senior vice president of the AP, on behalf of everyone in this room, all of the journalists yet to come, I want to thank you for never wavering or compromising. This board, this association are forever in your debt. To our friends at Voice of America, I can't wait until you're back on the White House grounds to continue reporting important stories for audiences around the world, especially in countries where leaders suppress the freedom of expression and the press.
(01:31:43)
At the end of the day, what every member of our association wants to do is simple. They want to do their jobs. They want to be able to ask questions on behalf of the American people. This iteration of the WHCA board was inaugurated the Monday after an assassination attempt on President Trump. Less than a week later, President Biden ended his run for reelection. A few days after that, Vice President Harris became the presumptive democratic nominee. We've been drinking from a fire hose a little bit up here. I bring up those three moments, each historic in their own right to illustrate that the work of journalism is often unpredictable and that the real world stakes of the events we cover are profound.
(01:32:25)
Those of us on the day has come to this task with one agenda and one agenda only, making sure that the reporters in the White House get to do their jobs, that the American people have the information they need to hold powerful people accountable and keep democracy strong. It's been difficult. I can't tell you the number of emergency meetings we've had. And for just under a year, I have been constantly impressed by all of your commitment, their commitment to you and to our profession.
(01:32:56)
In a few months, I will pass the gavel of the WHCA presidency to the fabulous Weijia Jiang. I am happy to announce that Weijia will become the first ever woman of color to lead this association. I don't have to tell our members, but let me assure the rest of you that our association will be in very good hands. Tonight, I am full of gratitude, to all of you, to my family, and to every mentor who pushed me and held me up. Thank you. I know I'm fortunate. I have been blessed that people have looked at me and reached out of hand. People like Professor Pam Jackson from Colorado State University.
(01:34:05)
When I was a child, I would tell everyone who would listen even if they didn't want to hear it, that I wanted to be a lawyer, then a politician, and then the first president. That was me until college. Eventually, I realized that maybe that wasn't the path I wanted to take, and that gave me a not-quite-quarter-life crisis. When I ran to Pam's office, panicked that I had killed my own dream, she looked at me and said very calmly, "Maybe you don't want to be a powerful person. Maybe you want to hold powerful people accountable," and it clicked. She changed my life with one sentence. Pam is here tonight sitting with my family. She's a perfect example of what we should all be doing when we meet young people who need a push advice, guidance, help them get to their full capability.
(01:35:06)
To the young journalists here today and watching at home, despite everything, I want you to know this continues to be a noble and essential profession. If you're wondering if it's worth it, do it. Jump in, join us. All we ask as your future colleagues is that you hold fast the ideals that motivate all of us to enter the profession. Hold onto those principles and remind us grizzled reporters of the why of this work when we get too comfortable, too cynical, happens fast.
(01:35:37)
As we close this evening, I want to leave you with the words of a trailblazing journalist, Ida B. Wells, "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." Despite everything, I'm still optimistic about the power of what we do and more assured than ever of the importance of defending it. Everyone in this room can and should stand in the breach. Everyone can and should push for what we know is right. Everyone can and should stand up against government interference in a free press. And a promise I make to you is that the White House Correspondents Association, this board, will always defend your right to do your jobs on behalf of your readers, your viewers, your listeners, or whatever else comes next, when the technology changes.
(01:36:37)
We always and will always advocate for more access to powerful people, for more independent journalists to be in the room, we will always stand in front, behind, beside you on behalf of every single person in this country who doesn't have access to a White House press badge. I hope you leave tonight feeling how I am, proud. Proud to be a journalist. Proud to be someone who covers the White House and damn proud to be a member of the White House Correspondents Association.
(01:37:07)
And in that respect, I raise a glass to the First Amendment and the journalists who do this work every single day. Thank you for coming and have a good night.
Announcer (01:37:30):
This has been Ayesha Rascoe NPR speaking for the White House Correspondents Association. Thank you, and good night.
