The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914 by journalists in response to a rumor that a United States congressional committee was going to choose which journalists could and could not attend the press conferences of then-president, Woodrow Wilson...
Interesting, and by interesting I mean "ridiculous" that you have a photo from 3 presidents and 5 terms ago on your contacts page. Maybe not so ridiculous when I think of the fact that your relevance and that of your members began to come in question when Helen Thomas was sent to the back of the room, and your response was "nothing." That was a long time ago, and America has a bigger problem now.
When the AP was taken out for doing their job, you should have taken a stand. The WHCA should have advised journalists to ALL walk out. Journalists should have let the next press conference be attended only by those servile "news" outlets politically aligned with the president. You should have all started covering this administration from OUTSIDE the White House grounds to show your ethical commitment to the facts, the truth, and to your own appreciation of what you do, and to show Americans and the world what a lie and joke this administration's idea of answering legitimate questions from journalists is. This was a missed opportunity to show the republic your independence, but it's still possible.
Firing Amber Ruffin, may have been the last meaningful capitulation before Fourth Estate became a de facto arm of the executive branch—only History will tell, if we ever have meaningful, truthful History taught in schools ever again in the future. If journalism becomes complicit White House PR, there will be no History to record.
—All of this is to say: We the people, need you.
We need all of you, every single one of you more than ever.
Crimes are complete when they are not called "crimes" and are forgotten.
That is why racists deny the holocaust. That is why today's autocrats want to tell you—America's journalists—what you can and cannot report.
"Please" is such a weak word.
But I'm using it here, to communicate my sense of defenselessness as I watch things fall apart in this republic—from our government's crucial instruments of checks and balances, from our system of justice, to the rule of law to the recognition and recording of reality itself. I beg of you: Do your jobs, tell your members to do their jobs.
Journalism cannot serve at the pleasure of this or any other president or administration.
Tell your members to do their jobs thoroughly, according to the ethics and the rigor and standards the facts and the truth demand.
Give us the facts, give us the truth.
Give us the news.
