Phony Journalist Exposed in Latest Scandal Involving White House Taxpayer-Funded Propaganda Machine

Interview with Steve Rendall, senior analyst with Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, conducted by Scott Harris

Since the November presidential election, the Bush administration's strategy for handling media relations has come into focus through multiple scandals involving government payments to journalists, most notably columnist Armstrong Williams, in exchange for favorable coverage of GOP policies. Williams, a columnist and broadcast talk show host, was paid $240,000 to promote the president's "No Child Left Behind Act." Two other print journalists, Maggie Gallagher and Michael McManus, were paid lesser sums to support a White House marriage initiative.

The newest set of revelations involve Jeff Gannon, also known as James Guckert, who was given credentials to attend daily White House press briefings and at least one rare presidential press conference. It turns out the Gannon, who regularly asked questions denigrating Democrats and praising Republicans, was not a journalist at all, but rather a GOP activist. Investigations into Gannon disclosed that he worked under a fake name for the fringe conservative Talon News, with direct connections to the right-wing organization GOPUSA.

After the scandal erupted, Gannon resigned from Talon News, but the controversy about the way in which the Bush administration handles its relationship with the press has only intensified. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Steve Rendall, senior analyst with the media-watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, who examines what some are now describing as a White House taxpayer-funded propaganda machine.

Call FAIR at (212) 633-6700 or visit their website at www.fair.org

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