American Media Pulls Out of White House Correspondents Dinner
By Nathan Schmidt
American financial journal Bloomberg announced today they will not be attending the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Bloomberg are only the latest addition to a growing list of media outlets who won’t be attending the event in protest of President Trump’s treatment of the media.
Earlier this year, both the New Yorker and Vanity Fair announced they would be cancelling plans to host parties before and after the dinner. CNN is expected to announce their cancelation in the coming days.
Typically, the Correspondents’ Dinner is a who’s who of the American aristocracy, attracting film stars, politicians, and businessmen. It is seen by many as a way to humanise the presidential administration, mingling political affairs with Hollywood glamour and comedy. The President himself will perform a short comedy skit in which, typically, he will poke fun at his own administration as well as his democratic opponents.
In the past, major media outlets have been invited to the event, as guests or as hosts. With so many outlets pulling out, it has become symbolic of the changing tide in American media, and the growing divide between the Trump Administration and the press.
President Trump’s comments regarding the media have angered many, regarding the press as ‘fake news’ and ‘the enemy of the American people’.
The Correspondence Dinner will be hosted by Reuters and held on the of 28th of April.