German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle has announced the White House Correspondents' Association as the winner of its 2017 Freedom of Speech Award.
Deutsche Welle said the White House press corps is "establishing a new benchmark in reporting about the policies of the new administration" in spite of President Donald Trump denying their credibility and sometimes using personal attacks.
"We have complete trust in the democracy in the United States of America," said DW Director General Peter Limbourg."This entails that we are reliant on a strong media.The White House Correspondents' Association is a guarantor for the control of those in power."
The award will be presented at Deutsche Welle's Global Media Forum in Bonn in June.
WHCA President Jeff Mason said the group is "deeply humbled and honored" to be chosen.
"Press freedom in the United States is not a given, despite the protection provided by the constitution.We must remain vigilant to ensure that those freedoms persist, regardless of who holds power in Washington," Mason said.
The award is in its third year.The prior winners were imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi and Sedat Ergin, then-editor-in-chief of the Turkish daily Hurriyet.
