Plain answers
The questions a serious person asks before writing.
If a sentence below is inconvenient, it is still the sentence. We would rather lose an applicant than mislead one.
Does membership get me into the White House?
No. Not the grounds, not the briefing room, not a workspace, not a motorcade, not an aircraft. Those decisions belong to the White House and, where the law requires it, the Secret Service. NWHCA does not participate in selling them.
Then what, exactly, am I joining?
A private association for new and independent media on the White House beat. You are assigned a delegate. Questions you submit are submitted to the White House. When a question is strong and there is an opening, it is asked at a briefing, on camera, and you are named. If it is not asked, you still receive a response.
Is my question actually submitted?
Yes. Your delegate submits the members’ list to the appropriate person at the White House. Every question you file is submitted.
Will it be asked on camera?
When the question is strong and there is an opening, it is asked at a briefing, in front of the cameras, under your name. If it is not asked, you still receive a response. A camera appearance for every question is not.
Is NWHCA part of the White House Correspondents’ Association?
No. We are a separate private association, chartered in 2020. Membership here is not membership there, and we will not let anyone blur the two.
Is NWHCA a government body?
No. We are private. We are not an agency, a credentialing authority, or an arm of the Executive. Any mark we issue will say so.
Can I show a membership card at the northwest gate?
You can show whatever you like. It will not admit you. If someone tells you otherwise, they are not speaking for the Association.
When do I pay?
After you are admitted, and only then. An application is not an invoice. Do not send money with the letter.
Can membership be refused or ended?
Yes. Admission is discretionary. Membership is at will. The Association may decline an application or end a membership without turning the decision into a public trial.
What should I not write in an application?
Do not write that you are buying access, a seat, or a pass. Do not ask us to obtain a hard pass for you. Those sentences tell us the applicant has not read the terms.
Where do I actually send the letter?
The application on this site composes a letter and opens it in your own email to info@nwhca.press. That is intentional. Membership begins as correspondence, not as a charge.