A somewhat good question from Gannon [View All]

[BurtWorm]

Criticism of my work and my journalistic background is fair game, but the intensive scrutiny into my personal life, especially things from the past have startled many in the journalistic community. Now Democrats in Congress are demanding that the White House do more thorough investigation into the personal lives and sexual histories of reporters. Is this what they want, to give the Bush administration a mandate to make this kind of information relevant to the vetting process for journalists? What kind of reaction would there have been if the White House has announced such a plan two months ago?


http://jeffgannon.com/Column%20archive/fear_and_loathing_in_the_press_r.htm

I question the bit about Dems in Congress "demanding that the WH do more thorough investigation" into the sex lives of reporters, of course, and I doubt many journalists are even interested in what Gannongate represents. But where is the line drawn between the public's right to know who these media figures are and their right to privacy? Why is Gannon's private life fair game as opposed to Judith Miller's or Robert Novak's? What if it had been the White House ejecting Gannon or another journalist because it had learned of his secret life as a male escort?

Just food for thought.