Journalists compete for laughs, April 1 $15

Tickets are now on sale for Commedia dell Media III on Friday, April 1, at the National Press Club.

The event will feature 13 esteemed members of the Washington press corps battling to be named D.C.'s Funniest Journalist. Washington Post cartoonist Nick Galifianakis will host and PBS’s Miles O’Brien will headline the show.

Tickets are $15 online (www.press.org/comedy) and $20 at the door. Tickets for the VIP reception are $35 and can only be purchased online. Club members receive a discount. The code can be obtained from Joshua Funk ([email protected]).

Sharpening their wit in preparation for the competition: Politico’s Jon Allen and Meredith Shiner; NPR’s Jamila Bey; Nadia Bilbassy of the Middle East Broadcasting Company; National Journal’s Matt Cooper; Brooke Hatfield of The Washington CityPaper; John Kelly of The Washington Post; Riz Khan of al-Jazeera English; Bloomberg’s Scott Lanman; Lizzie O’Leary of BloombergTV; Mike Walter of Walter Media; Shaun Waterman of The Washington Times; and freelancer Tim Young.

Co-winners of Commedia II, Military.com’s Jamie McIntyre and Rich Edson of FOX Business News, will head the panel of judges. But audience input will be required to select the winner.

Cash bars will open at 7 p.m. for a pre-show cocktail hour that features a selection of beer from Commedia sponsor Flying Dog Brewery. For those attendees wanting to mix with the talent, a special VIP ticket package is available, which includes a 1-hour pre-show open bar and spread of hors d’oeuvres.

Much more than a simple night of laughter and cocktails, the proceeds of Commedia dell Media will benefit three causes close to the performers’ hearts and profession.

The CPJ Journalist Assistance Fund saves journalists who must go into hiding or exile to escape threats and helps those in need of medicine or material support in prison.

The Club’s Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library helps hone skills of current and future news gatherers with an array of training programs and scholarships.

Reporters Without Borders is the international non-profit organization dedicated to protecting journalists' rights, fighting censorship, and promoting freedom of expression.