Gannon responds to Media Matters report that he copied GOP materials

Talon News reporter Jeff Gannon posted the following statement on his website in response to Media Matters' January 27 item noting that he has copied Bush administration and Republican National Committee (RNC) documents and releases in his “news reports” verbatim and without attribution:

The Lefties are going bonkers over this posting at MMFA: Hysteria! Just for the record, all material in these articles come from White House PRESS RELEASES, (you know, those things that a PRESS OFFICE puts out for use by the PRESS) and speech transcripts that are attributed to and accurately reflect the position of the President. In many cases I have liberally used the verbiage provided on key aspects of the issue because it is the precise expression of where the White House stands -- free or [sic] any “spin.” Its [sic] the ultimate in journalistic honesty -- unvarnished and unfiltered. If only others would be as forthcoming.

Check out these headlines:

“Bush Pushes Ownership Society” -- he did and I reported what he said! “Bush Announces Major Troop Deployment” -- he did and I reported what he said! “Bush Signs Historic Medicare Bill” -- he did and I reported what he said!

NOTE TO MMFA: What you say is an RNC Fact Sheet was a press release issued by the White House Press Office, America's Ownership Society: Expanding Opportunities

Also -- You guys really listened to my show? Why didn't you call in? And by the way, thanks for all your hard work. My phone has been ringing all day with interview requests.

As Media Matters noted, on the January 27 edition of Jeff Gannon's Washington -- the reporter's radio show on the conservative Internet radio website RIGHTALK -- Gannon criticized his colleagues in the press corps for “work[ing] off of the talking points” that Democrats provide.