The 2021 White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been canceled, the WHCA announced on Wednesday.
“We have worked through any number of scenarios over the last several months, but to put it plainly: while improving rapidly, the COVID-19 landscape is just not at a place where we could make the necessary decisions to go ahead with such a large indoor event,” the WHCA said on Wednesday.
The association said it expects to host its annual dinner next year, on April 30, 2022. As for this year, the WHCA will skip the dinner but move forward with announcing awards for best presidential news coverage, the Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability and the winners of the WHCA scholarship “soon.”
“Our top priority remains ensuring that journalists can continue to safely work from the White House and fulfill their vital role in keeping the public informed,” the WHCA said. “Dinner or not, we will spend the next few months celebrating and honoring the First Amendment, the remarkable journalism produced over the last year and the promising young reporters who will serve as the next generation in our ranks.”
Last year, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was originally rescheduled to late August but was ultimately canceled because of the pandemic. “Saturday Night Live” star Kenan Thompson had been slated to host, with comedian Hasan Minhaj as the featured entertainer.
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