Nowadays it seems as if everyone who covers politics has a hidden agenda. Whether these agendas come from the left, right or from the White House itself, they damage the credibility and independence of the news outlets involved.

A recent case that has received little attention is particularly alarming. It began when James Guckert received a daily press pass to the White House, even though Guckert had never written a news story before, and the news organization he worked for did not exist at that point. (according to who/what?)

Guckert continued to receive daily press passes even though he never worked under his given name, and instead went by Jeff Gannon. The fact that someone working under an assumed name never underwent an intensive FBI background check yet was within feet of President Bush is an unsettling statement about the security of our President.

However, Guckert's employer and the nature of the questions he asked of the President can shed some more light on what actually went on. The avowedly conservative political action group GOPUSA owns Talon News. Bob Eberle — a conservative political activist who has served as a delegate to Republican presidential nominating conventions — owns and operates GOPUSA. Also, "Gannon" once asked the president at press conferences about a "news story" that was actually a satirical skit that appeared on Rush Limbaugh's radio show, using that as the basis to question Congressional Democrats' hold on reality.

The fact that President Bush called on a reporter who would toss him softball questions isn't inherently questionable. However, when such a reporter has such a clear lack of experience, qualifications or even known identity alarm bells should go off. Actions need to be taken so that there is no actual or even perceived manipulation of the media by the White House.

The White House needs to be held to higher standards, both internally and externally. For instance, a policy could be implemented where any member of the press who works in the White House press corps for over 20 days a year needs to apply for a permanent press pass, which are much harder to get than the daily passes Guckert acquired multiple times. The White House could also publish a daily list of who received passes and who they work for, so someone can quickly figure out if there is something amiss.

The media should not be let off the hook either. The White House Press Corp comes off as an elite club where the regulars are never subject to examination themselves. Whether reporters work for Fox News, Talon News, the Associated Press or the New York Times, they should be taken to task if their questions or stories do not reflect journalistic ethics regarding factuality, fecundity and fairness.

For example, the Standing Committee of Correspondents, a professional journalistic standards organization, accredits journalists that cover the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. If a similar standard were applied to applications for the White House press corps, a more uniform standard of correspondent would emerge that could avoid future mishaps like the Guckert debacle.

The relationship between the White House and the media could become much more transparent and trustworthy if simple steps like this are taken.

This editorial appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Mar. 17 2005.