We Interrupt Frank Rich's World...
Frank Rich of the NY Times is living in a separate world - let us invite him to rejoin us here. Writing about the Jeff Gannon and Eason Jordan controversies, Mr. Rich offers this vision:
The "Jeff Gannon" story got less attention than another media frenzy - that set off by the veteran news executive Eason Jordan, who resigned from CNN after speaking recklessly at a panel discussion at Davos, where he apparently implied, at least in passing, that American troops deliberately targeted reporters.
By fortunate coincidence, the starting points of the two "scandals" are close - Jeff Gannon came to national fame at a Presidential press conference on Jan 26; Eason Jordan made his controversial remarks in Davos on Jan 27.
Let's track the "media frenzy" that caught Eason Jordan in its vortex. The first NY Times story was on Feb 12, and announced his resignation; by contrast the first Times story covering Jeff Gannon appeared on Feb 11, and contained a highly dubious lead from which the Times (and everyone else) has since backpedaled. Advantage - Gannon!
OK, maybe that was not fair - perhaps as an employee, Mr. Rich knows not to consider the Times to be "media". How about the Washington Post?
Well, Dan Froomkin wondered about Jeff Gannon's "divorced from reality" question on Jan 27; Howard Kurtz informed us that Jeff Gannon was quitting on Feb 10, and Google-News shows me ten subsequent stories.
As for the swarm around Eason Jordan, Howard Kurtz noted that the CNN executive faced some challenges on Feb 8; per Google-News, three more stories on Feb 11-12 covered his resignation.
Hmm. Advantage, Gannon! Perhaps in Mr. Rich's world, the media swarmed to decapitate Mr. Jordan. However, he can take pride that the Times did not give in to these base instincts, and comfort that the Wash Post held out as well.
MORE: Good post and good links from Jeff Goldstein; Jeff Gannon delivers the soundbite in a talk with Howard Kurtz; Joseph Curl of the Wash Times goes inside the White House press room; CBS News' Dotty Lynch goes off-message, suggesting Jeff Gannon actually had sources and broke news. Actually, this is quite interesting:
Gannon and Talon News appear to be mini-Drudge reports; a "news" source which partisans use to put out negative information, get the attention of the bloggers, talk radio and then the MSM in a way that mere press releases are unable to achieve.
...Daschle aides told Roll Call, "This guy (Gannon) became the dumping ground for opposition research."
Wait until they get a look at Josh Marshall!
It may be worth pointing out that not only could Eason Jordan not outmediafrenzy Gannon/Guckert, he was unable to do so (following Kaus' link to Lloyd Grove) while dating Sharon Stone.
Posted by: Joe Mealyus | February 22, 2005 at 03:46 AM
Joe:
An explanation might be that there aren't any naked pictures of Eason Jordan, while Mr. Gannon seems to have posted a few.
Posted by: Appalled Moderate | February 22, 2005 at 08:49 AM
homoerotic beefcake poses always trump whoever's dating an old "Cuisanart-with-legs"
Posted by: Al Gibson | February 22, 2005 at 09:20 AM
I thought Jordan was now dating Marianne Pearl, Danny Pearl's widow?
Posted by: Lurking Observer | February 22, 2005 at 09:23 AM
I can't read your blog, it doesn't work with FireFox! Your text is in a long skinny column with the right 1/3 of it cut off all together.
Posted by: Jim Howard | February 22, 2005 at 10:35 AM
Doesn't work with Firefox? That is whatI am using.
Well, if Firefox is cutting off the 1/3 of my opinions found on the right, that is not a bug, it's a feature.
Posted by: TM | February 22, 2005 at 10:49 AM
It's shore runnin purty on this here coal oil browser!
Posted by: Electronic Bubba | February 22, 2005 at 11:25 AM
Before Eason Jordan resigned (which boosted the story tremendously), I did a Yahoo News search for both "Jeff Gannon" and "Eason Jordan" and Gannon appeared in 124 stories, while Jordan appeared in only 44 stories (several of which were unrelated to Easongate).
Posted by: Brainster | February 22, 2005 at 12:39 PM
It appears that Rich is trying to out-wrong his "Passion" ledes.
That's gonna be tough (was there anyone more wrong during the year of 2004 than Frank Rich)?
Posted by: RW | February 22, 2005 at 01:08 PM
Paul Krugman. Ted Kennedy.
Posted by: Grayson | February 22, 2005 at 03:04 PM