White House Correspondents' Association
| Abbreviation | WHCA |
|---|---|
| Formation | February 25, 1914 |
| 52-0799067 | |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 38°53′52″N 77°03′18″W / 38.89778°N 77.05500°W |
| Eugene Daniels (Politico) | |
| Steven Thomma | |
| Revenue | $366,481 (2015) |
| Expenses | $311,090 (2015) |
| Employees | 0 (2015) |
| Website | whca |
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor that a United States congressional committee would select which journalists could attend press conferences of President Woodrow Wilson.
The WHCA operates independently of the White House. Application for membership is made online and granted by the association on the basis of criteria. Historically, notable issues handled by the WHCA were the credentialing process, access to the president and physical conditions in the White House press briefing rooms. Its most high-profile activity is the annual White House Correspondents' dinner, which is traditionally attended by the president and covered by the news media. Except for Donald Trump, every president has attended at least one WHCA dinner, beginning with Calvin Coolidge in 1924.
In February 2025, the White House announced that the WHCA would no longer determine which outlets are allowed access to the president.