Event took place with no Trump, no comedian and notably fewer politicians or Hollywood stars than in past years
Journalists rallied in defence of press freedom on Saturday, insisting they “are not the enemy of the people” at a Washington media gala snubbed by Donald Trump.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner was a muted affair with no US president, no comedian and notably fewer politicians or Hollywood stars than in past years.
The event took place under the shadow of a second Trump administration that has launched a wave of fresh attacks on freedom of the press, barring the Associated Press from the presidential pool and moving to shut down the Voice of America broadcaster.
In a typical year the president attends the WHCA dinner to congratulate journalists on their work, give a jokey speech and take it on the chin as a comedian jabs at their expense. But Trump, who has branded the media “the enemy of the people”, gave the dinner a wide berth during his first term and stayed away again this time.
I’m sorry… what? You cannot honestly say that with a straight face. The fact that journalism in the US has largely folded and been suborned by oligarchs is a big factor in how we got here in the first fucking place.
Sane-washing fascism means you’re enabling fascism, and being a fascist enabler means you’re a fascist.
Journalists do care (most…). It’s not a job for dispassionate people.
It’s publishers and managing editors who are the problem. They represent the institutions. They decide what goes to print
Bunch of pompous placeholders.