More than 500 veteran and former journalists have signed on to a letter calling on the White House Correspondents’ Association to speak out on the Trump administration’s attacks on journalists and press freedom when he attends its rescheduled dinner on Friday.
The letter, organized by former ABC News correspondent Lisa Stark and executive producer Ian Cameron, follows earlier calls before April’s dinner to condemn Trump’s attacks on reporters. But that event was ended after a gunman attempted to enter the Washington Hilton ballroom by breaching a security checkpoint, with a Secret Service agent struck by a bullet into his protective vest. The gunman, Cole Tomas Allen pleaded not guilty to a series of charges, including attempted assassination of the president.
“Since that evening, the administration’s attacks on journalists and press freedom have become even more egregious,” the new letter to the WHCA stated. “The President’s Department of Justice has subpoenaed journalists and their phone records. President Trump has threatened to revoke licenses of broadcasters who refuse to acquiesce to his demands.”
They called on the WHCA to “forcefully stand up for freedom of the press in front of the President, publicly defend the journalists he attacks, and vow to resist his administration’s concerted effort toundermine the First Amendment.”
Among other things, they cited the Justice Department’s subpoenas to New York Times journalists after they reported on the lack of security features on the new Air Force One, a retrofitted 747 that was a gift from Qatar. The FCC has ordered ABC stations to seek early renewals of broadcast licenses, in what the network called a threat to the First Amendment. The FCC said that the early renewal was related to an investigation of the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices, but it came after Trump called on the network to fire Jimmy Kimmel over one of his jokes.
Among the organizations signing on to the letter are the Society for Professional Journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Press Photographers Association, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Coalition of Women in Journalism, the Radio Television Digital News Association and the Media & Democracy Project.
The dinner, to be held at a smaller venue at the Washington Hilton, is scheduled to include remarks from Trump, presentation of awards and scholarships, and entertainment from Oz Pearlman. The WHCA announced that special awards will be presented to Victor Gonzales, the Secret Service officer, and to the staff of the Washington Hilton.
To the Officers, Board of Directors, and Members of the White House Correspondents’Association (WHCA):
In April, hundreds of veteran journalists called on the White House Correspondents’Association to use its Correspondents’ Dinner to forcefully oppose the Trumpadministration’s attacks on journalists and on freedom of the press.
The WHCA rescheduled the dinner for this Friday, July 24th, after a gunman brought anabrupt and terrifying end to the April event.
Since that evening, the administration’s attacks on journalists and press freedom havebecome even more egregious. The President’s Department of Justice hassubpoenaed journalists and their phone records. President Trump has threatened torevoke licenses of broadcasters who refuse to acquiesce to his demands.
Yet, the White House Correspondents’ Association still plans on hosting the Presidentat its rescheduled dinner.
Our message to the White House Correspondents’ Association is now more urgent:forcefully stand up for freedom of the press in front of the President, publicly defend thejournalists he attacks, and vow to resist his administration’s concerted effort toundermine the First Amendment.
WHCA President Weijia Jiang says the dinner’s purpose is “to celebrate the FirstAmendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it.”
We believe it is hypocritical to celebrate the First Amendment in front of the man whorelentlessly attacks it. We urge the WHCA to condemn the administration’s actions fromthe podium and pledge to fight all attempts by his administration to undermine this corepillar of a functioning democracy.
Recent Trump Administration Attacks on Freedom of the Press
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