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For this year’s correspondents’ dinner, reclaim press freedom

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by Robin Bronk, opinion contributor - 04/24/26 12:30 PM ET

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by Robin Bronk, opinion contributor - 04/24/26 12:30 PM ET

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President Donald Trump stops to talk to the media about the shooting in a California synagogue as he makes his way to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House as he travels to Green Bay Wisconsin for a campaign rally on April 27, 2019 in Washington, DC. The President was traveling on the night of the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner in Washington. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

It’s that time of the year — prom night in the nation’s capital, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The same questions crop up every year: Who is coming, who isn’t, what jokes will land, and will it play in Peoria? This tends to distract us from the real importance of the event and why we should pay closer attention, especially this year.

The bedrock for free expression in the U.S. is the First Amendment. It allows artists, journalists and others to express ideas and views without fear of censorship or punishment.

At inception, the First Amendment was established to ensure that this fundamental human right did not disappear. Today, that base seems quite a bit more shaky and less secure than it ought to be — not in one direct way, but through a series of minor shifts.

We see it in how quickly reporting is disregarded when it is inconvenient. We have a sense of how easily facts are perceived as malleable, subjective opinions. We see a growing willingness to question whether journalists should even be trusted to report in the first place.

The First Amendment’s function is to act as the cornerstone of American democracy, ensuring that we can say things that might be uncomfortable or hard to hear. It defends the sorts of words that push us to think — like news stories that ask hard questions or speak out on issues that don’t fit so well within our worldview.

If the First Amendment only applied when things were easy and everyone agreed, it wouldn’t be very helpful. It is meant to bring tough issues to the forefront, even if difficult or unpopular — and that’s why it’s so important.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is one of the few clear indications of an essential expectation that those in power are willing to be questioned, and the questions that are being asked do not require approval. This expectation has always come with a certain amount of tension.

But these days, the tension feels different. It’s a growing tendency to avoid scrutiny entirely. Some opt to label it, reduce it or look at it as a matter of course. But once entrenched, the reversal becomes nearly impossible. The issue is not that people disagree. Different opinions are part of daily discussions. The real crisis in democracy arises when the questioning itself is treated as the problem.

For journalists writing stories and artists creating their own works, their business depends on one thing most of all: the freedom to express honestly, even if others do not agree with it. When that space shrinks, so too shrinks everything from it.

At its core, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is a public declaration of something vital: press having the freedom to be autonomous and able to ask difficult questions. Supporting this annual event is about confirming that journalism is important and deserves a seat at the table — without apology or compromise — and that journalism should speak the truth, plainly and directly.

Standing behind that idea feels important at a time when it’s all too easy to turn a blind eye to problems or to discredit them completely. If the space for questioning gets cramped, it’s not just for journalists; it influences how much truth we’re willing or able to hear. This is not the sort of problem that can be solved overnight. It will take time.

As this year’s dinner approaches, we can’t risk drowning in the superficial glamour, red-carpet attendance and media spectacle. Instead, we must ask what this event truly means for us now. Are we still attached to what it stands for, and do we have the courage to let it be said while it still matters?

Robin Bronk is CEO of the nonprofit, nonpartisan arts advocacy organization, The Creative Coalition, and an author, producer and frequent public speaker. Bronk, a former Capitol Hill strategist, focuses on issues including the First Amendment, arts advocacy and media literacy.

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