If there’s any doubt who is the most aggressive broadcast news White House correspondent during the Obama administration, this award seals it.
For the third year in a row, ABC’s Jake Tapper is being honored with the Merriman Smith Award presented by his peers in the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Tapper was recognized for his breaking coverage of the Standard and Poor’s downgrade of the U.S. credit rating. Tapper broke the story on his “Political Punch” blog and reported it out on “World News with Diane Sawyer.”
Tapper gets kudos from his boss as well. “Jake Tapper sets the pace and standard for all journalists in Washington,” said ABC News President Ben Sherwood. Calling him “a modern news machine,” Sherwood adds, “Jake keeps newsmakers honest and his audience informed around-the-clock.”
Last year Tapper was recognized for breaking the news that President Obama would imminently ask National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair to resign. And in 2010, he won for uncovering Senator Tom Daschle‘s tax problems that eventually derailed his nomination to become secretary of HHS.
Tapper picks up his award at the annual dinner later this month.