Left Turn on Bird Street

Gannon-Guckert story breaks out of blogs, goes mainstream

By Dan Gougherty

The other night I was talking to an aquaintance who I consider to be well informed when the topic of media manipulation came up. In the course of our conversation, I referenced the current imbroglio over the Jeff Gannon–James Guckert as an example of how news is being manufactured and a compliant mainstream press follows in lockstep.

Much to my surprise, my acquaintance had not heard of the unfolding scandal. I briefly explained the highlights of the Gannon-Guckert affair and all the questions it was raising. I also suggested that the fact that he had not heard about it showed how the mainstream press had abandoned its role in conducting investigative journalism.

Since the Gannon-Guckert was outed, liberal bloggers have latched on to it with the same ferocity conservatives attacked the Bush-CBS 60 Minutes-National Guard papers scandal last fall. The primary difference between the two is that the 60 Minutes scandal involved a major news organization and, more importantly, the mainstream press picked up on the story almost immediately.

Did they latch on to it to cull favor with the Whitehouse? Or where they doing their job for a change?

After bloggers unearthed Gannon-Guckert’s background, which include allegations that he was a Gay male escort, i.e. prostitute (allegations he has not denied), the story has been under the radar of the mainstream press. Gannon-Guckert has also been connected to the Valerie Plame case.

Now this story appears to be getting the traction it warrants, be it well after the fact.

While this scandal once again raises questions about the integrity of the Whitehouse spin machine, which is an oxymoronic statement in itself, it is demonstrative of the the deficiency in the lapdogs known as the mainstream press.

From a conservative perspective, why did it take bloggers to break the story on Bush’s National Guard papers scandal? From a liberal perspective and to refute the often repeated notion of the liberal press, where was the New York Times, home of conservative columnists William Safire and David Brooks or the Washington Post, home of Gannon-Guckert apologist Howard Kurtz?

If nothing else, both of these cases show how the mainstream press has been asleep at the wheel.

Even as this is being posted, there is breaking news on the ties between Gannon-Guckert and the Whitehouse.