Barak Ravid receives White House correspondents’ award
Israeli journalist has warm photo op with US president at annual gala; Axios and Walla reporter honored for ‘stories that put the reader into the room as decisions made’ after Oct. 7
Israeli reporter Barak Ravid was given the White House Correspondents’ Association’s award for journalistic excellence at the organization’s annual dinner on Saturday.
“Barak Ravid’s reporting displayed deep, almost intimate levels of sourcing in the US and abroad that produced stories closely aligned to the events that subsequently transpired,” NBC News’s Lester Holt, who presented the award, quoted its judges as saying.
“His stories put the reader into the room as decisions were being made in the tumultuous aftermath of the October 7 Hamas-led raids on Israel,” Holt continued.
Ravid, 44, later took to X, formerly Twitter, to thank his editors, sources, family and readers.
“It was a moving and special night that I never imagined even in my wildest dreams,” wrote Ravid, who has worked as a diplomatic pundit for Haaretz and Walla, as well as a political correspondent in Washington for US news site Axios.
Announcing his selection at the start of April, the WHCA said: “Barak Ravid’s reporting displayed deep, almost intimate levels of sourcing in the US and abroad that produced stories closely aligned to the events that subsequently transpired.”
It was a moving and special night that I never imagined even in my wildest dreams. It wouldn't have been possible without my editors at @axios who made my stories better, my sources who trusted me, my family that came with me to Washington, and you, the readers. Thank you pic.twitter.com/aMQd2prsam
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 28, 2024
Like other Israeli journalists at the event, Ravid wore a yellow ribbon on his tuxedo, signifying the 133 Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Accepting the award from Holt, Ravid shook hands with Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris. The reporter amused the audience when he pulled Biden into a photo op, which the US president happily agreed to.
Eyebrows were raised in 2020 when Ravid, known for his critical coverage of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was fired by Channel 13 in what was widely seen as a political move by the outlet, reportedly for having poor “professional results.”
The Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence in White House Coverage, named for a late WHCA president and Chicago Tribune journalist, is awarded annually at the Association’s annual dinner, a black-tie affair that dates back to 1921 and traditionally features a skit from the US president.
At Saturday’s event, Biden poked fun at the sordid legal travails of his presumptive rival in the upcoming November election, former US president Donald Trump, as pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters rallied outside, demanding Biden end his support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
