post-dinner parties hosted by various media organizations, which are often a bigger draw and can be more exclusive than the dinners themselves. The public airings of the controversies around the dinner from the mid-2000s onward gradually focused concern about the nature of the event. While interest in the event from entertainers, journalists, and political figures was high during the Obama administration, by the period of the Trump administration, interest gradually slowed in attending, especially after President Trump announced he would not attend, nor his staff. Business related to the weekend event slowed considerably, including at hotels, high-end restaurants, salons, caterers, and limo companies. During the Trump administration, some media companies stopped hosting parties, while other of the roughly 25 events held during the three-day period gained more prominence as signs of social status. By 2019, the dinner and associated parties had returned somewhat to their previous nature as networking and media functions, with packed houses of media industry employees and Washington political figures. After the April 30, 2022 dinner, where comedian Trevor Noah joked it would be "the nation’s most distinguished superspreader event," several attendees including Secretary of State Antony Blinken tested positive for COVID-19. No cases of serious illness were reported as a result of the dinner. List of dinners Gallery Awards The Aldo Beckman Memorial Award Awarded for overall excellence in White House coverage. WHCA Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure The award was established in 1970 as the Merriman Smith Memorial Award for outstanding examples of deadline reporting. It was renamed in 2022 after the WHCA determined that Smith had supported excluding Black and female journalists from membership in the National Press Club and from attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The Edgar A. Poe Memorial Award Awarded for excellence on a story of national or regional significance. See also Gridiron Club Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner National Press Club Parliamentary Press Gallery List of dining events References External links White House Correspondents' Association White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at C-SPAN Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Journalism-related professional associations Professional associations based in the United States Organizations established in 1914 1914 establishments in Washington, D.C. White House correspondents American journalism organizations Dining events