How’s the sausage made?
More details today from The State: “Media jostled for access to Sanford:“
The media e-mails also illuminate the tactics of national outlets to land the big interview.
ABC News White House reporter Jake Tapper e-mailed [Sanford staffer Joel] Sawyer twice on June 23, both to note coverage of competitor NBC.
With a subject line of “NBC spot was slimy,” Tapper e-mailed Sawyer a “Today” show transcript of Sanford coverage, calling it “insulting.” Later, Tapper forwarded Sawyer a Twitter post by “Meet The Press” host David Gregory.
Jeff Schneider, a vice president at ABC News, said Tapper was “carrying some water for producers who knew he had a relationship with the governor’s office.”
That Fox News reporter who emailed Sanford’s office to say the story and the media frenzy were “ridiculous” and to offer Sanford his “best?” Griff Jenkins.
A WACH morning anchor offered to give Sanford “the floor for 10 minutes,” noting that while others “want to bash… I’m not doing that!”
And, RedState.com’s Erick Erickson offered help “to push back” on his blog, blasting “media speculation” about Sanford’s location. Erickson told The State:
I wasn’t trying to be a reporter. I wanted to curtail the story. Well that didn’t work.
The State today has all of the above media emails on its Web site in a single pdf.
UPDATE: Tapper emailed Politico’s Michael Calderone in response, calling himself “busted” and noting he will “try to leave the media criticism to others from now on.”
Liz Cox Barrett is a writer at CJR.