Gannon Not Getting Much Media Play

  •  February 25, 2005

Salon – Ordinarily, revelations that a former male prostitute, using an alias (Jeff Gannon) and working for a phony news organization, was ushered into the White House — without undergoing a full-blown security background check — in order to pose softball questions to administration officials would qualify as news by any recent Beltway standard. Yet as of Thursday, ABC News, which produces “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight With Peter Jennings,” “Nightline,” “This Week,” “20/20″ and “Primetime Live,” has not reported one word about the three-week-running scandal. Neither has CBS News (“The Early Show,” “The CBS Evening News,” “60 Minutes,” “60 Minutes Wednesday” and “Face the Nation”). NBC and its entire family of morning, evening and weekend news programs have addressed the story only three times. Asked about the lack of coverage, a spokesperson for ABC did not return calls seeking comment, while a CBS spokeswoman said executives were unavailable to discuss the network’s coverage.

Right. But this couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that a)Gannon’s sexuality simply does not matter b)he was never convicted for escort activity thus it could not have shown up on any sort of criminal background check and c)he was issued day-pass credentials based on the same set of criteria as literally hundreds of other journalists, right?
Of course, the people on the left who are pushing this story are claiming that this lack of coverage is an indication that the media doesn’t harbor a liberal bias. But maybe this isn’t getting a lot of media play because its just a dumb story. I wonder if that has ever crossed their minds.
(via Oliver Willis)

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  • http://slarrow.blogspot.com/ slarrow

    “But maybe this isn’t getting a lot of media play because its just a dumb story. I wonder if that has ever crossed their minds.”

    Well, of course not, Rob. Whatever were you thinking?

    I’ll chalk it up to Friday fatigue.

  • johannabartley

    I told my boss that my previous employee was the california drug northern rehab and he hesitated to give me the job. He finally caved in when I proved I never was an addict.

  • Jadegold

    Then, Rob, why would a security check ask for your previous employers?

  • Jadegold

    a.) his sexuality was never an issue; the prostitution thingy is.

    b.)try another example: suppose I set up a website offering to sell methamphetamines. Are you saying that if I'd never been arrested for drug-trafficking–a security check wouldn't reveal my business is selling illegal drugs?

    c.) he wasn't.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    1. Does the White House ask for any such thing? I've not heard of that.

    2. If they do ask it, its presumably to get an idea of what kind of media outfits the reporter works for/has worked for.

    3. Asking for previous employers still doesn't explain how the White House could have possibly known about Gannon's male escort activities.

  • Jadegold

    1. It's a pro forma question on every security questionnaire. It enables the people doing the vetting to go back to your employer and ascertain if you were some kind of psycho or a model employee.

    2. Well, then they must have found out Gannon/Guckert had no previous media experience. Hmmmm.

    3. Nonsense. Let's suppose Gannon/Guckert didn't put down "gay prostitute" as his business. Let's say he put down something inocuous like "entrepreneur." Most any security vetting agency would be more curious as to see whta kind of "entrepreneurship" was involved.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    try another example: suppose I set up a website offering to sell methamphetamines. Are you saying that if I’d never been arrested for drug-traffickingâ€"a security check wouldn’t reveal my business is selling illegal drugs?

    If you'd never been convicted of a crime the background check conducted by the White House, which was a simple criminal records check, would not turn a thing up.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    It’s a pro forma question on every security questionnaire. It enables the people doing the vetting to go back to your employer and ascertain if you were some kind of psycho or a model employee.

    There is no indication that Gannon, or any other journalist receiving a day pass, had to fill out any such form or that any of them had to provide any employment history at all aside from who they were currently working for. Your assertions here are unfounded.

    Well, then they must have found out Gannon/Guckert had no previous media experience. Hmmmm.

    Assuming the asked, that is what they would have found. But does that necessarily disqualify him?

    Nonsense. Let’s suppose Gannon/Guckert didn’t put down ""gay prostitute" as his business. Let’s say he put down something innocuous like ""entrepreneur." Most any security vetting agency would be more curious as to see whta kind of ""entrepreneurship" was involved.

    Again, this assumes that he was asked. And it also assumes that his escort activity was his only job during that time. He could have easily listed a legitimate day job.

  • JFH

    I'm all for a big expose on this. And I'm sure 60 Minutes et. al. are probably investigating this for a story. If a story doesn't come out, it's not because of any white-washing; it's because there was no "there" there.

    (Boy, was that an awkwardly formed phrase!)

  • http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

    from the stupid Salon article, "…in order to pose softball questions to administration officials would qualify as news by any recent Beltway standard…"

    What are they talking about?

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