The WHCA represents the White House press corps in its dealings with the administration on coverage-related issues.
A nine-member board of directors, elected by correspondents, addresses access to the chief executive; coverage arrangements; work space arrangements; logistics and costs for press travel to accompany a president on the road. Information about our OFFICERS and BOARD MEMBERS is available on our site.
The association also holds an ANNUAL DINNER to raise money for WHCA SCHOLARSHIPS and honor the professional recipients of the WHCA's JOURNALISM AWARDS. The next WHCA dinner is scheduled for April 28, 2012. Proceeds from the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner go toward scholarships and awards that recognize aspiring and accomplished journalists. Auctions and raffles of W.H.C.A. dinner tickets designed to raise money for other organizations or for commercial purposes are against the policy of the W.H.C.A.
SCHOLARSHIPS for promising journalism students play an important part in the associations' mission. Read about the talented recipients who were honored and learn about our expanded scholarship program.
We are proud to sponsor several prestigious professional journalism AWARDS that highlight our colleagues' significant accomplishments in the field. A CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS goes out in January, and awards are presented in the spring at the annual dinner. The 2012 recipients are listed on our AWARDS page.
Learn about the HISTORY of the WHCA. Over the years, many of our association's activities have been documented by C-SPAN, which is hosting a video archive of the White House Correspondents' Association dinners and related historical footage.
To qualify for regular MEMBERSHIP, a correspondent must be employed on the editorial staff of a newspaper, magazine, wire service, radio, TV, cable TV, or other broadcast organization or news gathering organization that regularly reports on the White House. His or her principal journalistic assignments must involve White House coverage with such activities as attending briefings or participating in the in-town pool rotation.The applicant must have permanent White House press credentials. There is also a non-voting associate membership. Read the WHCA BY-LAWS to determine your eligibility. If you are interested in joining, download a MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION. If you are already a member, visit the membership page for additional information about MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS.
We are posting PRESS RELEASES and links to some representative NEWS BLOGS produced by our members, to help keep you up-to-date on the most pressing issues of the day.
We're usually the ones asking questions, but you may have a few for us. If so, please CONTACT THE WHCA. We'd enjoy hearing from you.
White House press briefing, photo/Doug Mills, New York Times
2012 JOURNALISM AWARDS
White House Correspondents' Association announces ABC'S Jake Tapper, The Washington Post's Scott Wilson and teams at Politico and the Associated Press are winners of its 2012 journalism awards
The White House Correspondents' Association is pleased to announce the winners of its 2012 JOURNALISM AWARDS. Ten journalists have been chosen as the winners of three prestigious awards, along with two honorable mentions. Two of the winning submissions underscore the importance of teamwork in achieving journalistic excellence. The WHCA looks forward to honoring the talented recipients at our annual scholarship dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 28, 2012. The WHCA congratulates the winners and we thank everyone who submitted applications for the awards.
2012 WHCA SCHOLARSHIPS
Since 1991, the WHCA has awarded nearly $600,000 in scholarships. The success of this dinner allows members of the White House press corps to give back to the next generation of reporters. READ MORE about this year's scholarships.
Prime Movers is an intensive journalism mentoring program based at George Washington University that sends interns from the School of Media and Public Affairs and professional journalists into urban high schools to start and support media programs. This year they are working with 10 DC public high schools. In 2012, WHCA dramatically expanded its Prime Movers partnership role, increasing its financial support ($30,000) and more than quadrupling the number of events and correspondent-volunteers.
President Barack Obama speaks at a press conference in the White House on June 24, 2009. Official White House Photo/ Chuck Kennedy
2012 WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER
Photos/Mike Theiler
C-SPAN videos of the President's remarks and Jimmy Kimmel's presentation at the 2012 WHCA dinner.
To view red carpet arrivals and the full program, visit C-SPAN's WHCA page.
Additional photos will be added soon...
Use the sidebar links at the right to view earlier WHCA dinners, scholarships, and awards presentations.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama walk down Pennsylvania Avenue en route to the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. Photo/Doug Mills, New York Times
TELEVISED COVERAGE - 2012 DINNER
C-Span's comprehensive coverage of the guest arrival from the red carpet area starting at about 6:30 pm, and their full coverage of the dinner program may be viewed on TV or online at C-SPAN.ORG's White House Correspondents' Dinner hub.
MSNBC also will be carrying the dinner live at about 9:30 pm.
2012 SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEOn
Washington, DC Friday, April 27, 2012 Students receiving scholarships from the White House Correspondents' Association attend a lunchon where they will hear from a panel of White House reporters and from White House Press Secretary Jay Carney. Jay Carney, who served in the Vice President's Office before being named Press Secretary, was Time magazine's Washington Bureau Chief from 2005-2008. Moderated by Julie Mason of SiriusXM, the panel will discuss access and transparency in their coverage of the President and includes Jake Tapper of ABC News, Ben Feller of AP, Carol Lee of the Wall Street Journal, and Jackie Kucinich of USA Today. Last year, the Correspondents' Association distributed scholarships to 18 students, totaling nearly $100,000, according to its website. The students are undergraduate and graduate students from selected institutions. The White House Correspondents' Association officially announces scholarship recipients at the Annual Dinner, which takes place on Saturday. WATCH ON C-SPAN AT 1:00 PM FRIDAY
AWARDS - 2012 WINNERS White House Correspondents' Association announces ABC'S Jake Tapper, The Washington Post's Scott Wilson and teams at Politico and the Associated Press are winners of its 2012 journalism awards
The White House Correspondents' Association is pleased to announce the winners of its 2012 journalism awards. Ten journalists have been chosen as the winners of three prestigious awards, along with two honorable mentions. Two of the winning submissions underscore the importance of teamwork in achieving journalistic excellence. The WHCA looks forward to honoring the talented recipients at our annual scholarship dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 28, 2012. READ MORE
WHCA DINNER - APRIL 28, 2012
Late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel to headline White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
WASHINGTON - The White House Correspondents’ Association is pleased to announce that Jimmy Kimmel, host of the ABC late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will headline the WHCA's 98th annual dinner on Saturday, April 28, 2012.
"Jimmy's humor is sophisticated and edgy while appealing to a wide audience," said Caren Bohan, a Reuters journalist and president of the White House Correspondents' Association. "We are thrilled that Jimmy has accepted our invitation to be the featured comedian at our annual dinner."
The WHCA dinner is traditionally attended by the President and First Lady as well as many other senior government officials and members of the press corps. Proceeds from the dinner go toward scholarships and awards aimed at supporting aspiring journalists and recognizing excellence in the profession.
TICKET INFORMATION
Only WHCA members and their organizations are eligible to purchase tickets for the annual dinner. Please visit the MEMBERSHIP PAGE of our site to review eligibility requirements.
Proceeds from the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner go toward scholarships and awards that recognize aspiring and accomplished journalists. Auctions and raffles of W.H.C.A. dinner tickets designed to raise money for other organizations or for commercial purposes are against the policy of the W.H.C.A.
WHCA OFFICERS 2011-2012
President: Caren Bohan, Reuters
Vice President: Ed Henry, Fox
Secretary: Julie Mason, SiriusXM
Treasurer: Don Gonyea, NPR
BOARD MEMBERS 2011-2012
Carol Lee, Wall Street Journal
Michael Scherer, Time
Doug Mills, New York Times
April Ryan, American Urban Radio Network
Steven Thomma, McClatchy Newspapers
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF THE 2011 AWARDS
Four reporters have been named winners of three of journalism's most prestigious awards, and will be honored at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 30 at the Washington Hilton. At the annual dinner, the association also gives out more than $100,000 in scholarships for journalism students.
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF2011 SCHOLARSHIPS $103,000 to be awarded as part of White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Weekend
Students honored at Annual Scholarship Luncheon on Friday, April 29.
SLIDESHOW: 2010 DINNER PHOTOS
View approximately 300 images of the 2010 dinner by photographer Paul Morse. Slideshow is available in Flash and non-Flash formats.
WHCA 2009 AWARDS The Merriman Smith Award for presidential coverage under deadline pressure, the Aldo Beckman award for sustained excellence in White House coverage, and the Edgar A. Poe Award for excellence in coverage of news of national or regional significance.
WATCH A FLASH SLIDESHOW of the 2008 reception and awards dinner. Flash and a java-enabled web browser are required to view the show.
SLIDESHOW - THE 2007 DINNER
A SLIDESHOW of the 2007 reception and dinner remains online
VIDEO ARCHIVE
A number of videos featuring past dinners dating back to the early '90s, including Presidential remarks, awards and scholarship presentations, interesting historical footage, and political humor are available on C-SPAN.ORG.
THE SCHOLARSHIP ARCHIVE contains information about earlier recipients and links to additional information about these awards.
Visit the AWARDS PAGE sidebar for quick links to prior coverage of journalism awards, winning entries, and press releases dating back to 2000. NEWS
For recent White House Correspondents' Association news, visit the NEWS/BLOGS page
