More than 500 veteran and former journalists have written to the White House Correspondents' Association urging it to publicly confront Donald Trump over his administration's treatment of the press when he attends the rescheduled WHCA dinner on Friday. The letter, organised by former ABC News correspondent Lisa Stark and executive producer Ian Cameron, renews an appeal first made ahead of the original April event, which was cut short after a gunman tried to breach security at the Washington Hilton and a Secret Service agent was struck by a bullet.

The letter argues that attacks on journalists have "become even more egregious" since April, pointing to Justice Department subpoenas of New York Times reporters and their phone records following coverage of security shortcomings on the new Air Force One, and to the FCC ordering ABC stations to seek early licence renewals amid scrutiny of the network's diversity hiring practices, after Trump had called for Jimmy Kimmel's dismissal. Signatories, including the Society for Professional Journalists and the Committee to Protect Journalists, want the WHCA to "forcefully stand up for freedom of the press" in Trump's presence. Friday's dinner will be held at a smaller Washington Hilton venue, featuring remarks from Trump, awards and scholarships, and entertainment from Oz Pearlman.