Saturday saw the continuation of one of the more insufferable annual events held in a District known for insufferable activities. It was “press celebration week,” known as the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. This annual event is a back-slapping affair that over the years has become a pedantic and Leftist affair, despite all the claims of bi-partisanship and truth-telling. It has been about celebrities, noted politicians in attendance, and who was photographed with anyone held up as important.

This year, things began with upheaval weeks ago. The normal practice of having a noted comedian headlining the event was torn asunder when the chosen speaker, Amber Ruffin, ruffled the wrong feathers. She tipped her hand that she would be especially caustic in criticizing President Trump, and after being told to modulate her speech she resisted, leading to new WHCA President Eugene Daniels to cancel her and declare he was “re-envisioning” the dinner to focus on the journalism…something they have never had a problem doing at this affair.

The already tough-to-tolerate ceremony was made more dour and filled with self-praise. Little surprise then that this became a bit more clown show than the typical mouse circus. It took no time at all for the tent to start coming down around the beaming crowd. Things began with a montage of correspondents giving their impressions of the job, and what strikes you is not only the DEI feel of those on camera, but the outlets they represent. 

There have been critical words about the White House placing a focus on alternative media sources, giving more access to “smaller” or “less valid” news outlets. Yet in this opening video, we see those chosen from sites like The Grio and the American Urban Radio Network; how are they not considered to be beneath the established titans of the industry? Another example seen from that opener was from Jasmine Wright, from NOTUS, who delivered an example that typified the self-centered mentality of the night. “Without the information, they aren’t able to make correct decisions about their everyday lives.” Are you seriously kidding me with this?! Talking down about your prospective audience, and thinking that your job of covering the White House for an upstart non-profit outlet transforms the lives of your unwashed readership is certainly a look.

They quickly moved into the awards, the first being one recently altered over woke sensibilities. The WHCA loves naming awards after historic names from their profession, but recently, they stripped the name of legend Merriman Smith from the Presidential Coverage Under Strict Deadlines awards. Smith was found to be guilty of holding positions and opinions deemed offensive today, while they were acceptable in the 1950s and 1960s, when he plied his trade and served as the WHCA President for years. 

So the first award for Deadline work for broadcast outlets went to Rachel Scott from ABC News, for her diligent reporting on the day of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Scott talked rhapsodically of the danger and chaos that day, but this is in stark contrast to one reality: How many journos in that dining room were suggesting for months that those events had been staged? So they tried to sell us on a conspiracy while also celebrating the severe danger faced by daring journalists that day.

For the print award under deadline pressure the honor went to Zeke Miller - known for his history of strained accusations of GOP racism — and Aamer Madhani for “breaking” the story of the Biden White House altering the official White House transcript after Joe Biden had been heard referring to Trump supporters as “garbage.” While this was a valid story, it is a touch obtuse. So many of those in the same room Saturday were either covering for Biden or buying into the explanation that Biden “spoke with an apostrophe,” in order to claim he was calling only one person that insult, not all Trump supporters. Abby Phillip, presenter of the award, even had on her show one panelist chalking up Biden’s comment to him having a stutter.

"A speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage," Mr Biden said. "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters." https://t.co/QrP4ja5sJp pic.twitter.com/S97XOgoDtg

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 30, 2024

Next, Eugene Daniels introduced Kristen Welker by saying that “If it’s Saturday, it must be the moderator of ‘Meet The Press’...”, referring to her…um, Sunday program. Welker was presenting the Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Journalistic Excellence. This went to Alex Thompson of Axios for his willingness to actually report on Joe Biden’s cognitive decline. Welker described this as “information the White House tried to conceal.” Again, the people in that room are operating in a deluded state.

As we have cataloged here for years, not only was Biden’s mental impairment a major issue, but it was far more than something the administration shielded – this same press corps was a participant. They attacked those of us daring to point out Biden’s decrepitude. These are the people who lashed out at Robert Hur for daring to jot down that the former president was too impaired to stand trial. 

As Rusty Weiss covered, Thompson’s speech was, in fact, filled with some rare honesty, but also showed veiled admissions. Thompson said, “We missed a lot,” but that does not go far enough. We have cataloged here how the press served as attack dogs, acting as mynah birds for the White House in calling people with evidence to be those trafficking in “cheap fakes.” They accused people of ageism, of mocking a man with a stutter, and lashing out in partisan fashion…all for displaying the truth and facts.

Eugene Daniels tried to bolster the credibility of his outfit, saying, “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!" This was unintentionally accurate; the WHCA has proven they work WITH the state when Democrats are in charge.

The previous WHCA president, Kelly O’Donnell of NBC News, was a frequent denier of the obvious, that being how there was coordination with the press and the Biden press office. We saw the infrequent news conferences where President Biden communicated coordination, and the times he was photographed with note cards instructing him which reporters to call on, with questions provided ahead of time. O’Donnell tried denying this was done, and yet, as someone in the news business, I need to show the evidence.

April 26, 2023
Question #1 @KellyO pic.twitter.com/yPuOp4WUfE

— Publius (@OcrazioCornPop) July 12, 2024

Her picture was given, she was the first reporter called upon without Joe looking up to acknowledge, and hers was the first question asked. The choreographed nature of this rare presser could not be denied. 

Then, just to add to the dysfunction and missed self-analysis, a new honor was presented. The Center for Integrity in News Reporting Award was presented to recognize “the most fair, impartial, and objective news reporting - with the courage to not fear and the discipline to not favor." The real laugher comes from the claim that this was made to address the public’s declining trust in news reporting and aims to restore that trust. It was awarded to Anthony Zurcher of the BBC for coverage of Joe Biden and the Gaza conflict.

That British network has been on the end of repeated cases of slanted coverage on the Israel-Gaza war, where they even declared they would not call out Hamas as a terrorist group, or participating in terror activities. The BBC has had to retract a number of reports from Gaza, and is shown to criticize Israel far more than Hamas. The outlet had to remove a recent documentary when it was learned it had been backed by Hamas leaders. Call it horrendous timing that this weekend they were found to have been using as a stringer a reporter in the area who said he wants to see Jews burn in the manner imposed by Hitler.

Yet this is who they honor based on that reporting in order to restore trust with the general public?! 

This is the comedy of this entire show. Even in the glimpses where they appear to recognize that there is a problem within their ranks, they still manage to continue down the same path that is leading to the overall irrelevancy of their vocation. All we can do is point out their flaws and foibles — it is up to them to actually admit their problems.

Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie.  

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