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. Bush 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:
- 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.
Read more about this topic: Talon News
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