African Journalist Kicked Out of White House Correspondents Association, Says It Has Double Standard

A journalist from Africa has accused the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA), of discriminating against him, by kicking him out and using a double standard against his.

Simon Ateba, founder and chief White House correspondent for Today News Africa, was informed last week that his membership to the organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president wouldn’t be renewed. Members are required renew their memberships by Jan. 1.

“I regret to inform you that your application for membership has been declined,” Steven Thomma, the executive director of WHCA wrote to Ateba from Cameroon in a letter seen at The Epoch Times.

“Your application was carefully reviewed by a committee of journalists looking at your listed news organization and your assignment based on all of the information you provided and any other information they found available.”

Thomma observed that the committee “did not see evidence that [Ateba is] ‘employed on the editorial staff of a newspaper, periodical, wire service, radio, TV, or other news-gathering organization that reports on the White House’ as required by our by-laws.”

Today News Africa, however, has been covering the White House since Trump’s administration. Ateba also held associate membership in the WHCA from 2021 to 2022.

Thomma also wrote that “the committee noted repeated instances where your behavior violated the expectations for membership outlined in our bylaws, which have been detailed to you previously.”

Thomma did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment by press time. Tamara Keith (WHCA President) is a National Public Radio correspondent who declined to respond to The Epoch Times.

Ateba has verbally clashed repeatedly with the White House, particularly Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary in the briefing area.

Ateba was established in December 2021. shouted questions During a White House press conference about the Biden administration’s travel bans on Botswana and Eswatini as a result of the Omicron version of COVID-19.

Ateba was born May 20, 2022. Reprimand The WHCA Interrupting Jen Psaki’s final day as White House Press Secretary. The WHCA threatened him to be expelled.

Ateba interrupted a briefing in August 2022. John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator Strategic Communications, rebuked Ateba.

Jean-Pierre will be 87 years old in November 2022. Exploded Ateba: “I’m done with you” Thank you for standing up for a reporter trying to ask Dr. Anthony Fauci about COVID-19’s origins, during your final White House press briefing.

Afterward, the WHCA reprimanded Mr.

Ateba attempted to ask a question in December 2022 ahead of the U.S. Africa Leaders Summit, but was unsuccessful. rejected Jean-Pierre, who stormed out from the press briefing.

Ateba stated to The Epoch Times that he will sue the WHCA. His lawyer will write to them to inform them that they have time to reverse the decision, or else they will file a suit against them.

He claimed that the WHCA was using a double standard and that there were no qualms. Journalists during the Trump administrationJim Acosta from CNN is one of the contributors. came under fire For acting and showing off as activists instead of journalists.

“If Jim Acosta does it, if CNN does it, they believe that those are the people that they should fight for, right?” Ateba spoke. “They believe that those people are more important. They believe that those people are worth it.”

He said that Jean-Pierre, Keith, and WHCA had a superiority complex.

“There’s this level of disdain, this level of ‘I’m better than you. You come from Africa. We’re doing you a favor to be at the White House covering U.S.–Africa relations,'” Ateba spoke.

Jean-Pierre accused him of racial discrimination.

“She believes that she’s better than me, right?” Ateba spoke. “Karine Jean-Pierre, she believes that the other people in the briefing room they’re better than the people who come from Africa, right?

“You can tell when she speaks to a white person that she is not afraid to speak with. [believes] You know this, you’re right [is] She is a wonderful person. She talks to me when she speaks [she feels I’m] An inferior person.”

He accused the WHCA of “Collaboration” with Jean-Pierre “To Silence me.”

Thomma’s letter noted that Ateba has publicly said he doesn’t receive a salary, which Thomma said is a violation of WHCA membership rules—even as such a requirement doesn’t appear in the WHCA bylaws.

Despite being denied renewed membership, Ateba has said that he’ll continue to cover the White House.

By not having WHCA membership, he won’t be allowed certain access including being part of the press pool—a small group of journalists covering the president and other principals on trips and at certain events—and invitations to association events such as the glitzy annual White House Correspondents Dinner.