WHCA President Weijia Jiang pushed back on a viral letter signed by more than 500 journalists urging the organization to confront President Donald Trump at Friday’s dinner, calling it “really disappointing.”
“I thought it was really disappointing that they didn’t reach out and have an earnest conversation with us about what they would like to hear from the association,” Jiang told C-SPAN ahead of Friday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which was rescheduled after gunshots shut down the April event. “They waited until the day before the dinner, or the day before they were going to release their statement, to instruct us what to do. It also was based on the premise that we weren’t going to say anything about the current environment, and that’s a false premise.”
As Jiang went on, she noted that, out of the nearly 1,000 members of the WHCA, none of the 500-plus signees were current members of their organization.
“None of the people that signed it currently cover the White House, and I would also say that when they might have years and years ago, it was a very different climate,” she said. “And so, if you truly understand the role of the association, it’s a diplomatic role. We are the bridge between the press corps and the administration. And if all we do all day long is issue, you know, severe statements, that doesn’t produce anything that’s valuable for our members.”
As an example, Jiang shared how the WHCA was able to retain control of the briefing room assignments, noting that was accomplished thanks to their “working relationship” with the White House.
“We are not political, and obviously we stand against any actions that are meant to intimidate and threaten and chill free speech, and we have made that very clear,” she added. “But again, I don’t think issuing strongly worded statements is effective. If you really want to have an impact, I would urge them next time to have an honest conversation with us and be productive and and have constructive feedback, rather than dictating what we should say. Or they can run through the board themselves.”
Jiang’s response came days after a coalition of veteran journalists and press organizations renewed their request (previously made ahead of April’s WHCD), in which they encouraged the WHCA to confront Trump over his attacks on the First Amendment.
“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 the journalists he attacks, and vow to resist his administration’s concerted effort to undermine the First Amendment,” the letter, which was signed by Jim Acosta, Ann Curry and hundreds more, read.
“WHCA President Weijia Jiang says the dinner’s purpose is ‘to celebrate the First
Amendment 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 who relentlessly attacks it,” the letter continued. “We urge the WHCA to condemn the administration’s actions from the podium and pledge to fight all attempts by his administration to undermine this core pillar of a functioning democracy.”
