Monday, February 14, 2005

Quote of the Day (from Cheap bastard, posting at atrios's comments page):

Anyone surprised with the fact that some prostitute with good connections can take a weekend seminar on journalism and produce virtually the same product as ninety-five percent of the reporters out there?No? Me neither.

Cheap bastard, you hit the nail on the head.
It is fascinating, frustrating, and infuriating to see the media deliberately ignore the far-reaching implications of the Jeff Gannon story, before which Jordan Eason's unpleasant comments pale.
[For the record, I have no idea what the right wing is complaining about with regard to Jordan. I have on occasion visited those swamps called The Corner and Free Republic, and I regularly see people arguing in favor of killing journalists. Why then the problem with Jordan, who seems to confirm that that they've gotten their wish? But to get back to Gannon...]

Let's compare the two stories.
Eason Jordan, in a conversation, said that journalists were being targeted byt he military. He backed off the statements later saying he meant "only accidentally." Apparently, this brought shame to CNN and he has resigned.

Jeff Gannon is the fake name of JD Guckert, a fake reporter for the fake news organization Talon news, who was allowed to use his fake name as a participant in the White House Press corps by Scott McClellan, who knew Gannon's real name (in bed together so to speak, no pun intended..yet). Gannon/Guckert would lob fake questions at Mr. McClellan and to Mr. Bush. Gannon/Guckert is also the first person to mention the Valerie Plame memo, in an interview with Joe Wilson, Ms. Plame's husband. Within days of Gannon/Guckert's exposure as a plant, followed by his resignation, it comes to light that the man runs/ participates in an online gay escort service (prostitution is illegal) with a military theme, including explicit pictures of Gannon/Guckert.

Now: even granted that the proof of the prostitution came in the early afternoon, why would the Jim Lehrer News Hour focus nearly exclusively on the Eason story, which is simply offensive, and not on the Gannon story, which involves a criminal having access to top secret documents in the White House?
I've yet to see ABC, CBS, or NBC news, but I ain't expecting to be surprised.