Why NYT doesn’t attend White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner

New York Observer

“We are not being holier than thou [by not attending], or criticizing anyone who chooses to go,” says Times Washington bureau chief Dean Baquet. “But we came to the conclusion that it had evolved into a very odd, celebrity-driven event that made it look like the press and government all shuck their adversarial roles for one night of the year, sing together (literally, by the way) and have a grand old time cracking jokes. It just feels like it sends the wrong signal to our readers and viewers, like we are all in it together and it is all a game. It feels uncomfortable.” || The Guardian:: It’s “an unseemly schmoozefest.” || Julie Moos: The best jokes about the media from Saturday’s dinner.