White House Correspondents' Dinner stresses press freedoms in Trump era

[nitpicker]

http://www.dw.com/en/white-house-correspondents-dinner-stresses-press-freedoms-in-trump-era/a-38643819

White House Correspondents' Dinner stresses press freedoms in Trump era
30.04.2017

"We are not fake news, we are not failing news organizations and we are not the enemy of the people," Jeff Mason, a Reuters correspondent and president of the White House Correspondents' Association told the black-tie gathering on Saturday. "An attack on any of us is an attack on all of us," Mason added. "We must remain vigilant. The world is watching."

The main purpose of the dinner is honoring journalists for their work and awarding scholarships to students. Traditionally the US president makes a humorous speech at the event in which he pokes fun at the media, politicians and even himself, and a hired comedian also skewers the president.

Watergate journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein reminded the crowd of the value of patience and persistence in pursuing a big story. Woodward addressed Trump, saying "Mr. President, the media is not fake news."

Comedian Hasan Minhaj (main photo above) made several jokes at Trump's expense, but also ridiculed some of the media, in particular Fox News, a supporter of the Trump administration and Republican party. "I think he's in Pennsylvania because he can't take a joke," Minhaj said.

"Welcome to the series finale of the White House Correspondents' Dinner," Minhaj, who plays a correspondent on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" program, told the crowd. He also joked about Trump, despite organizers' wishes, saying he did so to honor US constitutional protection of free speech. "Only in America can a first-generation, Indian-American Muslim kid get on this stage and make fun of the president."
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Hours before the official correspondents’ dinner began, late night television host Samantha Bee’s "Full Frontal" team kicked off an alternative event, "Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner." Bee said her event was a place where "journalists and non-irritating celebrities from around the world" could mingle, in order to pay homage to a free and functional press.
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