NYT Reporter Calls for Overhaul of Elitist Journalists' Dinner After Trump’s Attacks on Press
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Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the New York Times, urged the White House Correspondents Association to reconsider its annual dinner after President Trump used the platform to mock and undermine the press, furthering his administration’s assault on media freedom.
President Donald Trump, notorious for his relentless attacks on the free press, attended the White House Correspondents Association’s annual dinner on Friday, using the event as a stage to ridicule journalists and media outlets. The dinner, which is supposed to honor courageous reporting, ironically included awards for stories exposing Trump’s own troubling history, such as his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Peter Baker, the New York Times’ chief White House correspondent, took to X to voice his frustration, stating that the dinner 'did not advance' the mission to protect First Amendment rights. He called on the association to 'rethink the dinner,' highlighting the disconnect between the event’s supposed purpose and its reality under a president hostile to press freedoms. Baker, a veteran member of the association, pointed out that the Times had largely boycotted the event for nearly two decades, only attending when a journalist was recognized for their work.
Baker amplified the urgent warning from his wife, journalist Susan Glasser, who reminded colleagues that if journalists themselves do not defend press freedoms, no one else will. Her words underscore the dangerous climate for journalism under Trump, whose administration has normalized attacks on the media.
Trump’s remarks at the dinner included a sexist jab at CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins and the self-serving claim that media outlets would flounder without his presidency. After years of boycotting the event, Trump’s return was marred by the memory of a shooting attempt earlier in the year, a grim reminder of the violence stoked by his rhetoric.
While the dinner claims to raise funds for journalism scholarships, its current form appears to serve more as a spectacle for the powerful than a genuine celebration of the press. The White House Correspondents Association awarded Baker a prize for 'Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure' two years ago for his reporting on Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, a testament to the kind of journalism that is increasingly under threat.