Reluare joi, 17 februarie 2005

Doubts on White House Reporter Are Recalled

Date: 18 February 2005

By Anne E. Kornblut

Anne Kornblut

Former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer says reporter calling himself Jeff Gannon who presented questionable news credentials from Internet organization Gopusa aroused suspicions several years ago; says telephone conversation he had with Gopusa president Robert Eberle satisfied him that Gannon was not directly financed by political party, Fleischer's standard for access to White House press briefings; Gannon, whose real name is James D Guckert, resigned from Talon News, offshoot of Gopusa, but Democrats are demanding to know how he obtained press credentials and special access to briefings (M)

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Schieffer Brothers' New Jobs Won't Strain Bonds, They Say

Date: 18 February 2005

By Jacques Steinberg and David E. Sanger

Jacques Steinberg

Bob Schieffer, recently appointed ambassador to Japan by Pres Bush, and his brother Bob Schieffer, recently named interim anchor of CBS Evening News, say they will use 'commons sense' to reinforce journalistic and diplomatic firewalls between them; say they depend on each other's integrity; Bob Schiefer says he will defer to judgment of his executive producer Jim Murphy if asked to introduce news report concerning matters of import to his brother; CBS News president Andrew Heyward is quoted as saying matter will be handled in case-by-case basis, and program will err on side of disclosure; it is not unusual for siblings, or spouses, to find themselves on opposite sides of journalist-newsmaker divide in Washington; other examples cited; photos (M)

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Bush's Barberini Faun

Date: 17 February 2005

By Maureen Dowd

Maureen Dowd

Maureen Dowd Op-Ed column on disclosure that for two years, man with double life and secret past was allowed into White House press room to ask softball questions of press secretary Scott McClellan; says James Guckert, aka Jeff Gannon, has denied launching provocative Web sites, but that has been disputed by Web site designer who says he designed site for Guckert; suggests that Gannon/Guckert's willingness to shill free for White House was endearing to Bush administration (M)

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The Need for a Federal Shield

Date: 17 February 2005

Editorial on federal appeals panel's ruling that Matthew Cooper of Time magazine and Judith Miller of The New York Times could be jailed for refusing to testify about confidential sources to grand jury, calling it latest threat to news media's ability to provide free flow of information to public about their government; agrees with Rep Mike Pence, co-sponsor of federal shield law for journalists, that public's right to know is at stake

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Literary Sport: The Roar of the Crowd, the Review of the Books

Date: 17 February 2005

By Sarah Boxer

Sarah Boxer

Article on First Annual TMN Tournament of Books, presented by Morning News, daily online magazine, and Powells.com, online bookstore; Web tournament is set up exactly like NCAA basketball tournament as novels from 2004 are pitted against each other until one of original 16 remains (M)

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'Paraguay' Author Finally Goes There, Finding an Uproar

Date: 17 February 2005

By Larry Rohter

Larry Rohter

Lily Tuck, who won 2004 National Book Award in United States for her book The News From Paraguay, visits Paraguay for first time and finds herself dragged into country's often bitter debate about national identity and honor; her book focuses on love affair between Marshal Francisco Solano Lopez, country's strongman in mid-19th century, and his Irish mistress; some see book as insult to Paraguay's image and history; photos (M)

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Commentator Caught Up in Controversy Tries to Move On

Date: 17 February 2005

By Anne E. Kornblut

Anne Kornblut

Armstrong Williams, his career as conservative commentator tainted by disclosure that he was paid to promote government education law, is trying to move past controversy that has come to define him in recent weeks; appears at Howard University forum on future of blacks in Democratic party, unsympathetic setting in that he has long been lightning rod for liberals; apologizes for blurring lines between journalism and government work but expresses bitterness as well; photo (M)

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Britons Strike Sour Noteson Royal Wedding

Date: 18 February 2005

By Sarah Lyall

Sarah Lyall

Backlash against second marriage of Prince Charles is well under way in Britain; it remains to be seen whether he and Camilla Parker Bowles will win acceptance with their subjects, but news has dominated front pages of British newspapers, with some expressing scorn; photos (M)

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Italian Hostage Pleads on Tape for Foreigners to Leave Iraq

Date: 17 February 2005

By James Glanz and Dexter Filkins

James Glanz

Italian reporter being held hostage in Iraq pleads for her life and asks all foreigners to leave Iraq, in crudely made videotape delivered anonymously to Associated Press Television News; reporter, Giuliana Sgrena, speaks in both Italian and French, emphasizing her antiwar reporting; she works for leftist Italian newspaper Il Manifesto; she was seized after interviewing Iraqis near Baghdad Univ on Feb 4; in Rome, government of Prime Min Silvio Berlusconi responds with 141-to-112 vote to keep financing Italy's deployments in Iraq; Foreign Min Gianfranco Fini says work would continue for Sgrena's release without altering Italy's strategy toward Iraq; photo (M)

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MONSANTO TO ACQUIRE EMERGENT GENETICS

Date: 18 February 2005

By Bloomberg News

Bloomberg News

Monsanto Co acquires Emergent Genetics, maker of cotton seeds, for $300 million (S)

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