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White House-friendly reporter under scrutiny
Boston Globe ^ | 02/02/05 | Charlie Savage and Alan Wirzbicki

Posted on 02/02/2005 6:43:13 AM PST by Pikamax

White House-friendly reporter under scrutiny By Charlie Savage and Alan Wirzbicki, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent | February 2, 2005

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration has provided White House media credentials to a man who has virtually no journalistic background, asks softball questions to the president and his spokesman in the midst of contentious news conferences, and routinely reprints long passages verbatim from official press releases as original news articles on his website.

Jeff Gannon calls himself the White House correspondent for TalonNews.com, a website that says it is "committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news coverage to our readers." It is operated by a Texas-based Republican Party delegate and political activist who also runs GOPUSA.com, a website that touts itself as "bringing the conservative message to America."

Called on last week by President Bush at a press conference, Gannon attacked Democratic Senate leaders and called them "divorced from reality." During the presidential campaign, when called on by Press Secretary Scott McClellan, Gannon linked Senator John F. Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, to Jane Fonda and questioned why anyone would dispute Bush's National Guard service.

Now, the question of how Gannon gets into White House press conferences is coming under intense scrutiny from critics who contend that Gannon is not a journalist but rather a White House tool to soften media coverage of Bush. The issue was raised by a media watchdog group and picked up by Internet bloggers, who linked Gannon's presence in White House briefings to recent controversies over whether the administration manipulates the flow of information to the public.

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: dhpl
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1 posted on 02/02/2005 6:43:13 AM PST by Pikamax
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To: Pikamax

They must have really did some digging to find a white house friendly reporter.


2 posted on 02/02/2005 6:44:44 AM PST by Piquaboy (22 year veteran of the Army, Air Force and Navy, Pray for all our military .)
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To: Pikamax
The Bush administration has provided White House media credentials to a man who has virtually no journalistic background, asks softball questions to the president and his spokesman in the midst of contentious news conferences, and routinely reprints long passages verbatim from official press releases as original news articles on his website.

Thank God the Clintons never did that.

3 posted on 02/02/2005 6:45:14 AM PST by martin_fierro (_____oooo_( ° ¿ ° )_oooo_____)
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To: Pikamax

In other words, "real" journalists are upset because the White House doesn't approve only raving leftwing lying freaks.


4 posted on 02/02/2005 6:45:40 AM PST by Trippin
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To: martin_fierro

In other words, the man was doing his job.


5 posted on 02/02/2005 6:46:24 AM PST by Two-Bits (ABORTION-Never A CHOICE - Only A MALE'S FREE PASS from RESPONSIBILITY.Women STILL PAY PRICE)
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To: Jeff Gannon; Bob J; Bonaparte

Dirty Democrat got this published, again?


6 posted on 02/02/2005 6:46:31 AM PST by bd476 (God Bless those in harm's way and bring peace to those who have lost loved ones today.)
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To: martin_fierro
Hey the man who paid the individual he sued.

Ranks right up there with the escapades of John dean.

7 posted on 02/02/2005 6:47:10 AM PST by dts32041 (When did the Democratic party stop being the political arm of the KKK?)
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To: Pikamax

Wow! It would really be a shame if the White House didn't let the press conferences consist entirely of unbiased, fair reporters, like Helen Thomas!


8 posted on 02/02/2005 6:47:15 AM PST by LanPB01
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To: Pikamax
The Bush administration has provided White House media credentials to a man who has virtually no journalistic background, asks softball questions

Pretty much sums up the entire MSM under the Klinton admin, no?

9 posted on 02/02/2005 6:47:22 AM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it.)
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To: Pikamax

As opposed to the reporters that asked Bill Clinton questions...

As that hardball journalist Dan Rather said 'Bill Clinton is basically honest' or 'if I could be half as good as you and Hillary my life would be considered a success.'

Bush gets one 'soft' reporter and the Democrats get the rest.


10 posted on 02/02/2005 6:47:33 AM PST by NeilGus
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To: Trippin

Of course the Globe would have no problem with Massive Michael Moore globbing up the front row would they? I mean, he's objective right?


11 posted on 02/02/2005 6:47:56 AM PST by JesseJane (KERRY: I have had conversations with leaders, yes, recently.That's not your business, it's mine.)
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To: Pikamax
...recent controversies over whether the administration manipulates the flow of information to the public.

As we all know it's the job of the MSM, not the White House, to manipulate the flow of information to the public.

12 posted on 02/02/2005 6:48:03 AM PST by Noachian (We're all one judge away from tyranny.)
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To: Pikamax
virtually no journalistic background

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

13 posted on 02/02/2005 6:48:15 AM PST by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: Pikamax

Well, he has repeatedly commited the act of asking push-from-right questions. That would immediately make him suspect in a sea of the standard push-from-left questioners. After all, when 5 journos ask the president to admit he is wrong, and then one comes along and asks if a Dem senator might be wrong....well, it's just more than the presscorp can handle.


14 posted on 02/02/2005 6:48:18 AM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: Pikamax; Jeff Gannon

Good heavens. THIS is news. Helen Thomas' bilious, acidic, hamfisted domineering wasn't news; the others' advocacy journalism isn't news; reflections on the fact that ONE REPORTER's non-hostile questioning so stands out against the out-of-touch majority's tendentiousness isn't news — but this is news.

The MSM cannot possibly die quickly and horribly enough to satisfy me.

Dan


15 posted on 02/02/2005 6:49:38 AM PST by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: Howlin

I guarantee you this one is going to blow up....even if it is arson on the part of the msm. Keep a sharp eye out....


16 posted on 02/02/2005 6:50:32 AM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: Pikamax
...in the midst of contentious news conferences... Yeah, let's not have a civil news conference with sensible questions. Is this not making it obvious that the left's agenda is to have attack meetings, not news conferences. How dare Gannon bring civility into the rabid, hate-filled arena?
17 posted on 02/02/2005 6:50:37 AM PST by JudyinCanada (I can't wait, the dream is coming true and I will stand in front of the box to put my heart into it.)
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To: Pikamax
. . . and routinely reprints long passages verbatim from official press releases as original news articles on his website . . .

Gee, the guy prints what was really said instead of taking it out of context and twisting the true meaning. Can't let that kind of honesty loose in the MSM...

18 posted on 02/02/2005 6:51:04 AM PST by trebb ("I am the way... no one comes to the Father, but by me..." - Jesus in John 14:6 (RSV))
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To: Pikamax

Like someone said in an earlier post.. like the MSM ask John sKerry hard questions during the election </sarcasim>.

Sounds like they only want hard-core left wing journalist asking questions.


19 posted on 02/02/2005 6:51:31 AM PST by BoBToMatoE
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To: Pikamax

So who died and made the Boston Glob the final arbiter of who gets into White House Press conferences? Bitter, spiteful folks at the Glob, it seems to me.


20 posted on 02/02/2005 6:51:36 AM PST by SuziQ
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