WASHINGTON—Laughter will abound as always, but this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner plans to seriously and solemnly address the role of journalism in a democracy.
This year’s dinner is being held while Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich is jailed in Russia. He was arrested in March and charged with espionage despite his employer and the US government vehement denials. His family will be among the 2,600 people who will attend the gala dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel.
Debra Tice, the mother of Austin Tice, who has been missing since 2012 in Syria, will also attend. US authorities say they are working on the assumption that he is alive to bring him back.
“Hundreds of journalists around the world are being illegally detained for the sole fact of practicing journalism, which is not a crime,” said Tamara Keith, president of the association and White House correspondent for NPR.
Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to kick off the event with a pre-recorded video address on the importance of a free and independent press.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will attend, and comedian Roy Wood will do the satirical monologue.
In a preview of his topics, Wood predicted that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will find it hard to give up his culture clashes and clash with Disney over a few jokes. The comedian told CNN that he doesn’t expect DeSantis to say: “’Guess what? You’re right. Go ahead, put black history back in the books’… he’s in a fight with Mickey mouse. You don’t make a person like that change his mind with a joke.”
The gala dinner attracts a wide range of celebrities and media entrepreneurs, with parties throughout the capital. Reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump and singer John Legend are expected with his wife Chrissy Teigen, model and TV artist.
