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April 08, 2005
One Big Joke
I attended the National Press Club panel this morning on "What Is a Journalist?" Jeff Gannon informed me of the event during our second interview. I thought it would be a good opportunity to hear a discussion on the necessary qualifications one would need to be deemed a "journalist." The event, which airs tonight on C-Span 2 at 8:00pm or can be viewed online by visiting the C-Span website and clicking on the Wonkette/Gannon discussion.
I brought our wonderful intern to the event to expose her to some "culture." She witnessed that the prestige of journalism proves to be nothing more than a polished, more sophisticated turd. I fought back yawns throughout. Siting from the back of the room, I observed the smog of elitism and group-think hover over the room. Everytime the audience laughed when the panelists and the MODERATOR made stabs at FOXNews told a story of bias; the audience (minus one Dana Milbank, who left early) sat smug during every mention of a blog or bloggers.
I hate to admit it, but Wonkette made the most interesting and introspective points. This could be after lots of practice being thrown bone after bone on cable news. Also, Jeff Gannon's comments were more on point than the rest of the panelists. While all the panelists were more interested in how long it took Jeff to get a daily-press-pass, Jeff commented on the future of journalism and repeatedly demonstrated that no one in the room had any qualification that made them a "journalist"--all they had was an accepted resume.
I'll leave the more maggot-like bloggers to parsing and disecting every word or comment uttered. All I want to do is offer two anecdotes...
After all the snide whispering and laughing at blogs and FOXNews, the media proved their worth in the Q&A session from the audience. I stood there quite patiently (you will see me on TV in the blue button-down and ripped khakis) to ask this question, which is typed directly from my hand written notes with the parenthesis in my head:
"Panelists discussed this idea that the main stream media or journalists felt threatened by blogs. Do you believe that they feel threatened because the blogs, unlike others, demonstrate a political bias that the press refuses to believe they have? Or, does the mainstream media feel threatened because blogs show the public an institutional laziness based mostely in groupthink and an elitist mentality. I offer as an example the due-diligence that bloggers perform in actually verifying accuracy (like the fake memos used by CBS and Dan Rather) or verifying their source (like the Terri Schiavo memo from the office of Mel Martinez)."
Now, I am just a little blogger without credentials; I never got to ask my question because I was next in line. But the representative from the Washington Post got to ask his question. What was his question? What did the more sophisticated, credentialed journalist want to know?
"Um, what is Journalism?"
Well, hot damn! That was worth the 50 grand this guy's parents paid!
Lastly, Michael Rogers went crazy when the moderator said they wouldn't take any questions. Immediately, he shouted questions and statements like:
- How many times did you sleep with Scott McClellan?
- Who did you sleep with in the White House before getting a press pass?
- You let him filibuster the entire event!
Then he attempted to remove the velvet rope and get in Jeff Gannon's face. Luckily, security intervened and ultimately had to escort Gannon out of the building through a different exit.
I took the regular exit and confronted Rogers in the lobby (Wonkette was there and can verify). I told him he was a jerk for making it a practice to out conservative homosexuals. He claimed he didn't, but then went into a diatribe about how he is against politicians that are gay but support ideology that makes his life as a homosexual worse.
I told him that the only people who are hurting are those whose lives he destroys. Wonkette chuckled and walked away.
Why do I mention this nutcase? Well, the panelists and the MODERATOR questioned Jeff Gannon's honesty when he said he and his family were threatened...but here comes this nutcase rushing the panel and shouting questions about who he slept with during a session to discuss, of course, "Who Is a Journalist.'
I am NOT a journalist...and would never want to be one.
Posted by Aaron at April 8, 2005 08:03 PM
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Tracked on April 12, 2005 10:58 AM
Comments
Come on Aaron....if you're going to mischaracterize me as some real danger to a pathetic liar and plagiarist like Gannon, why not go for the jugular. Tell people I had the rage of Howard Dean's scream or something to make it juicy.
It would certainle be more interesting than your whining in the NPC lobby.
Posted by: Mike Rogers at April 8, 2005 08:46 PM
Yes Mike Rogers, your asinine antics were without a doubt typical of clueless liberal like you...
Jeff Gannon at least had the good taste not to kick you squarely in the gonads like you so richly deserved...
Posted by: russ at April 9, 2005 07:48 AM
Mike
What was Gannon's biggest problem, that he was gay or that he was a conservative?
Posted by: DoubleU at April 9, 2005 09:25 AM
I just finished watching the entire video. A few observations:
1) Aaaaaaaaaaana Marie Cox (Wonkette) got on my nerves. Too much adrenaline? caffeine? Her St. Vitas-like antics obscured what she said/asked.
2) Jeff Gannon was identified with: Formerly of Talon News. Jeff Gannon's credentials came under scrutiny after asking questions at White House news conferences. Everyone else had their title or their website/news organization listed.
3) Jeff's "question" was referenced a few times. Can anyone remember what that question was?
4) It was observed that the panel was disproportionately represented by Harvard, which probably explains the suffocating level of arrogance.
5) Jeff Gannon did us all a favor by explaining what qualifications are needed to obtain a "hard pass" for White House press conferences. He said Mo Dowd can't get one because she doesn't qualify, but she can get a day pass.
A primarily boorish crowd very in love with themselves, and yet I was fascinated watching the self-anointed crusty uppers.
Posted by: kitty at April 9, 2005 10:43 AM
While fairly new at this blogging stuff, I perk up whenever I hear "blog" mentioned on anything other than my computer. So obviously I stopped on C-SPAN last night when I saw this panel. I was struck by a few things:
1. Wonkette didn't say anything. She challenged Gannon on a few minor details (how long did he think about getting a press pass? who cares?) but she didn't add anything (IMHO) about the "topic" of the definition of journalism.
2. The brunette (can't recall her name) came off as supremely snooty. Maybe it's just my middle class background but I wouldn't give her the time of day, much less talk to her when she's performing her journalist duties.
3. Piling on Gannon seemed like the thing to do! While he wasn't all that impressive and seemed to have a hard time when on the spot, everyone jumped on him like he was the redheaded stepchild.
Just the point of view from a layman: non-journalist, newbie blogger.
Posted by: Jack Army at April 9, 2005 05:49 PM
Gannon is just a gay Ari Flischer. Ask all the questions you want, you will never ever get an answer.
Question: "8 inches, uncut?"
Gannon: I can't believe people are spreading these vicious rumors about me. Woe is me.
Question: "How did you get into the white house?"
Gannon: "You're not a journalist, I'm a journalist! You don't have any qualifications. You're just a blogger"
Exile this guy. he fucking bores me.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 10, 2005 12:11 PM