Shocker: 13 Mainstream Media Journalists Have Now Gone To Work For Obama

Proof • August 4, 2009

Not that there’s anything specifically wrong with that. It’s happened in the past. Tony Snow went from a career at Fox News to work for the Bush administration. But the sheer numbers by which journalists are leaving their careers to work for Obama is telling.
The most recent addition to this growing list is Roberta Baskin:

Roberta Baskin, a veteran of CBS News, ABC News, PBS and Washington, DC’s ABC affiliate, with a stint at the Center for Public Integrity mixed in, “will join the Department of Health and Human Service’s office of inspector general as a senior communications adviser in mid-August,” Washington Post “Federal Eye” blogger Ed O’Keefe reported late Monday. Specifically, O’Keefe related, her job will be “to help drum up media attention for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team, an HHS-Justice Department task force aimed at combating Medicare and Medicaid fraud.”

Here’s a list of the other 12:

Warren Bass: Washington Post deputy editor (of the Outlook section) > adviser to United Nations Ambassador Dr. Susan Rice.
Daren Briscoe: Newsweek Washington correspondent > Deputy Associate Director of Public Affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Jay Carney: Time magazine Washington bureau chief > Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Communications for Vice President Joe Biden.
Linda Douglass: ABC News Washington correspondent (previously with CBS News) > senior strategist and senior campaign spokesperson on the road for the Obama campaign, now Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services and leading spokesman for Obama’s health reform.
Kate Albright-Hanna: CNN producer > director of “new media” (online video) for the Obama campaign, “content lead” for the Obama transition Web site.
Peter Gosselin: Los Angeles Times Washington correspondent > speechwriter for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.
Sasha Johnson: CNN senior political producer > Press Secretary at the Department of Transportation.
Beverley Lumpkin: Justice Department correspondent for ABC News > Press Secretary at the Justice Department.
Aneesh Raman: CNN Middle East correspondent > worked in communications for the Obama campaign.
Vijay Ravindran: Chief Technology Officer for Catalist, a voter database provider which worked for the Obama campaign > Chief Digital Officer and Senior Vice President of the Washington Post Company.
Rick Weiss: Washington Post science reporter > communications director and senior policy strategist at the White House Office of Science and Technology.
Jill Zuckman: Chicago Tribune Washington correspondent > Director of Public Affairs for the Department of Transportation.

The funny thing is that these people’s job descriptions aren’t changing much. They’re just being a little more honest about being flaks for Obama.

Tags: Asshats, Domestic Issues, Politics

http://www.dartemis.net/blog/ sayanything-42

Rob,

Shouldn’t that headline read “Shocker: 13 Mainstream Media Journalists Have Now OPENLY Gone To Work For Obama”?
http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/ goon

Let’s not forget that most Fascist regimes/dictators love to control the media. You could also make the case that he is hiring all of his sock puppets from companies that favor democratic fascist leaders.
docdave

So what’s going to change? They were already working for him in their previous jobs. Actually this may not be too smart for Obama because now he’ll have to pay for services he was previously getting free.
axxkicker

Shouldn’t that headline read “Shocker: 13 Mainstream Media Journalists Have Now OPENLY Gone To Work For Obama”?

i believe so. well put.
TUNA

Obama is merely paying these toadies back for seeing things his way during the campaign. God willing, they will be looking for work in 3.5 years–and will have trouble finding it.
jimmypop

smart move on his part.
Brent

It’s a revolving door. These “news” people will be back working for the same big newspapers, magazines, and networks at some point.
conundrum

Yeah cronyism, only liberals do it. (dripping sarcasm).
robert108

Yeah cronyism, only liberals do it. (dripping sarcasm).

No one but you is saying that. In fact, the coverage is so unbalanced toward claiming cronyism on the part of Republicans and conservatives that there’s a long way to go to catch up to fair and balanced reporting of the issue.
Where’s your criticism of the cronyism between Obama and the MSM?
conundrum

not complaining about either one. You are living in lala land if you think it is going to change. It would be fun to see someone 180 degrees from the politician on his staff. Can you imagine Rushbo on Obama’s staff or Olberman on Bush’s staff. That indeed would be fair and balanced.
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?
TUNA

The extent of the cronyism in this instance is what is noteworthy. The fact that they are all liberal toadies is merely an observation. In light of Obama’s promise for “change and transparency” it is ironic that he would carry this hideous practice to new heights–also noteworthy.

If you believe collective bargaining, transfer of wealth, creeping socialism, government intervention in private enterprise, and social engineering are the answers to America’s problems, Obama represents the change you have been looking for. Otherwise, he is your worst nightmare.

Bush is looking better every day.
Mickey

But what good has it done for Obama? Not much from what I can see.

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Shocker: 13 Mainstream Media Journalists Have Now Gone To Work For Obama

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