National De-pressed Club

If you got here via blogland, then you probably know this, but it bears repeating. The National Press Club has scheduled the following:

Event Date: Apr. 8, 2005
Event Name: "Who is a Journalist?"
Event Type: NPC Professional Event

Part of this event is to discuss blogging and how that connects with, expands upon or outright tramples over the idea of the traditional journalist (I was going to say, "Right wing bloggers, set your Dan Rather memo typeface decoder rings on stun," but then we'd have to assume Rather was a journalist and not a reader.)

But the ridiculous part is this: The National Press Club, which sees its mission as providing "people who gather and disseminate news a center for the advancement of their professional standards and skills, the promotion of free expression, mutual support and social fellowship," which heads one of the "about" sections of its website "History-Ethics", is inviting Jeff Gannon to the panel.

Yep, the plant.

He is a journalist how?

Why aren't Rob Corddry or, heck, Hildy Johnson invited?

So help try to stop this ridiculousness and please go sign the petition at The Agonist. We will never have a real press if even the National Press Club doesn't know the difference between a stooge and a reporter.

And heck, if this works maybe we can get The New York Times to work on Judith Miller....