Donald Trump, President of the United States, will attend the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner tomorrow night for the first time in office. Some observers believe this is an attempt by the President to present himself as someone who can manage relationships with the media better than during his first term. Additionally, the fact that Trump wants to avoid any onstage insults could be interpreted as a desire to change his approach toward the media from combative to conciliatory, given that he has refused to attend the dinner in both of the prior years he was president.
Reaction from press freedom advocates has been divided; some have pointed out that even though the new format for the event does not allow comedians to roast guests, some form of comedy will still be included at the event.
Advocates of press freedom argue that the next year is a significant year for press records, with multiple elections being held across the country. Many have also asserted that the lack of attendance by Trump at the previous two Correspondents’ Association dinners will hurt the public relations efforts of organizations trying to promote the importance of journalism to our democracy.
The bottom line is that the President will likely have prepared remarks and minimize viewer engagement by not providing opportunities for audience members to ask impromptu questions or give impromptu comments.