Talon News
Encyclopedia
Talon News is an American
website which became newsworthy in January 2005 because alleged irregularities in the background of its chief correspondent, known as Jeff Gannon
, came to light. Gannon, born James Dale Guckert, resigned from Talon on February 8, 2005. The Talon News website was shut down February 23, 2005, but was later revived as a parody.
According to Media Matters, "Talon News apparently consists of little more than (Robert) Eberle, (Jeff) Gannon, and a few volunteers, and is virtually indistinguishable from GOPUSA.com.
Initially, Talon News made its articles available on their website, but in September 2004, moved them to GOPUSA.com and simply re-directed visitors asking for the full news articles there with the statement "This story can be found on our #1 client — GOPUSA!". In January 2005, during the controversy, Talon News removed information from its biography
section regarding some of its employees, including the reporter at the center of the controversy, Jeff Gannon
.
The Talon News site went entirely off line on February 23, 2005, to "re-evaluate operations." Since May 2007, the Talon News site has been a parody
, and its pages link to The Firesign Theatre
's site.
how he would work with Democrats
who had "divorced themselves from reality." Washington Post columnist Dan Froomkin
noted in his February 19, 2004, column that "Within the press corps, Gannon is known for asking softball questions." Media Matters also discovered that the Talon News operation seemed as more of an arm of the PAC
GOPUSA than a legitimate journalistic enterprise. Both groups were run out of the same address (Eberle's home), Talon News items were culled from the GOPUSA website, and Talon News "journalists" lacked significant journalistic experience but had a lengthy history in conservative activism.
The Standing Committee of Correspondents rejected Gannon's application for a Capitol Hill press pass
because of Talon News' lack of independence from a political organization. Committee chairman Jim Drinkard wrote in his letter:
In 2007, Gannon published a book titled "The Great Media War", in which he attacks his critics and criticizes liberal media bias
. He maintained a blog through 2007.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
website which became newsworthy in January 2005 because alleged irregularities in the background of its chief correspondent, known as Jeff Gannon
Jeff Gannon
James Dale Guckert is a conservative columnist better known by the pseudonym Jeff Gannon. Between 2003 and 2005, he was given credentials as a White House reporter. He was eventually employed by the conservative website Talon News during the latter part of this period...
, came to light. Gannon, born James Dale Guckert, resigned from Talon on February 8, 2005. The Talon News website was shut down February 23, 2005, but was later revived as a parody.
Organization
A virtual organization with no physical office space or newsroom, Talon News was owned by a conservative activist group called GOPUSA. Robert Eberle, the president and CEO of GOPUSA, held both titles for Talon News as well.According to Media Matters, "Talon News apparently consists of little more than (Robert) Eberle, (Jeff) Gannon, and a few volunteers, and is virtually indistinguishable from GOPUSA.com.
Initially, Talon News made its articles available on their website, but in September 2004, moved them to GOPUSA.com and simply re-directed visitors asking for the full news articles there with the statement "This story can be found on our #1 client — GOPUSA!". In January 2005, during the controversy, Talon News removed information from its biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
section regarding some of its employees, including the reporter at the center of the controversy, Jeff Gannon
Jeff Gannon
James Dale Guckert is a conservative columnist better known by the pseudonym Jeff Gannon. Between 2003 and 2005, he was given credentials as a White House reporter. He was eventually employed by the conservative website Talon News during the latter part of this period...
.
The Talon News site went entirely off line on February 23, 2005, to "re-evaluate operations." Since May 2007, the Talon News site has been a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, and its pages link to The Firesign Theatre
The Firesign Theatre
The Firesign Theatre is an American comedy troupe consisting of Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman and Philip Proctor. Their brand of surrealistic humor is best known through their record albums, which acquired a cult following in the late 1960s and early '70s.The troupe began as live radio...
's site.
Controversy
Media Matters raised the question of Talon News' legitimacy with respect to Gannon's loaded questions at White House press conferences, such as asking then President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
how he would work with Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who had "divorced themselves from reality." Washington Post columnist Dan Froomkin
Dan Froomkin
Dan Froomkin is the Senior Washington Correspondent for the Huffington Post. His work is now collected . He previously wrote a column for the online version of The Washington Post called White House Watch....
noted in his February 19, 2004, column that "Within the press corps, Gannon is known for asking softball questions." Media Matters also discovered that the Talon News operation seemed as more of an arm of the PAC
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
GOPUSA than a legitimate journalistic enterprise. Both groups were run out of the same address (Eberle's home), Talon News items were culled from the GOPUSA website, and Talon News "journalists" lacked significant journalistic experience but had a lengthy history in conservative activism.
The Standing Committee of Correspondents rejected Gannon's application for a Capitol Hill press pass
Press pass
A press pass grants some type of special privilege to journalists. Some cards have recognized legal status; others merely indicate that the bearer is a practicing journalist...
because of Talon News' lack of independence from a political organization. Committee chairman Jim Drinkard wrote in his letter:
- The application for accreditation to the press galleries states that "members of the press shall not engage in lobbying or paid advertising, publicity, promotion, work for any individual, political party, corporation, organization, or agency of the Federal Government." Talon News has not demonstrated to the satisfaction of the committee that there is a separation from GOPUSA/Millions of Americans.com.
Jeff Gannon/James Guckert
Gannon submitted his resignation from Talon News effective February 8, 2005. On February 10, Gannon said in a CNN interview that Talon News is a legitimate conservative online news service. He also stated; "Talon News is a separate, independent news division. I work for Talon News. I write articles for Talon News." On February 20, 2005, The New York Times quoted Eberle, who said he had no inkling that Gannon may have created pornographic web sites or offered himself as a gay escort. If he had known, Eberle said, "I don't think I would have brought him on."In 2007, Gannon published a book titled "The Great Media War", in which he attacks his critics and criticizes liberal media bias
Media bias
Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the...
. He maintained a blog through 2007.