News Media
Daily Paper Ignores “Deep Throat” Idaho Link
December 20, 2008 
The DAILY PAPER–and AP–skimmed over the fact former FBI agent Mark “Deep Throat” Felt was a native of Twin Falls where he is still remembered, when reporting his death Saturday. Felt is the secret source who ratted off President Richard Nixon’s illegal acts, causing the president to resign.
No doubt the newly released FROST/NIXON movie will have something about “Deep Throat.”
We don’t know the reason for ignoring the “local angle” about a historic figure, but it is no doubt a combination of factors like, apathy, lack of institutional memory, news judgement, convenience, lack of staff, etc. Reporter Dan Popkey (of Larry Craig fame) reported on Felt’s Idaho connection more than three years ago—they could have recycled some of that copy.
Whatever the reason for the lack of Daily Paper coverage, it was nice to see a well done piece in the Twin Falls TIMES-NEWS by reporter Nate Popino.
From the TIMES NEWS:
“Felt graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1931 and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho in 1935. He married his wife, Audrey, from Gooding, in 1938, and joined the FBI in 1942.
“Thirty years later, he responded to what he saw as attempts from the White House and his own organization to stunt an investigation of the Watergate office building break-in by leaking information to Post reporter Bob Woodward. He insisted that he remain anonymous, receiving the moniker “Deep Throat” from Post editors, and his tips helped lead to President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974.”
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Dec 20, 2008, 10:44 am
From what I’ve seen coming out of 1200 N Curtis, they probably didn’t ignore it somuchas not even know it.
Dec 20, 2008, 10:49 am
You are right Guardian. It is curious that the local legacy print ignored his death. Normally, they go out of their way to claim a link to anything and anyone, no matter how tawdry, that so much as brushed up against Idaho at some point in the past. My personal favorite for nebulous claim to fame was when the Statesman touted the local connection to a long removed Playboy Cyber Girl.
My guess is that the Statesman is hesitant to draw attention to a person who had such a clear sense of moral integrity, and need to do the right thing, when they share neither trait.
Dec 20, 2008, 1:22 pm
Yawn, ummm, quote the guardian: “Felt graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1931 and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho in 1935. He married his wife, Audrey, from Gooding, in 1938, and joined the FBI in 1942.”
So, he hasn’t lived in Idaho since then. That is 66 years. While what he did was a heroic deed, his time here in Idaho was a brief stint compared to the rest of his life.
EDITOR NOTE– Same is true for Ezra Taft Benson, Sarah Palin, Ernest Hemingway, Lloyd Bucher (Pueblo fame), Gutzon Borglum (Mt. Rushmore) just to name a few.
Dec 20, 2008, 1:24 pm
Picayune has it correct again! When the sun is just right, you can see the threads of the “cocoon” forming around the building. You have to wonder how they would do on Jay Leno’s “Jaywalking”??
Dec 20, 2008, 3:51 pm
I remember a lot of the Watergate era stuff. It was history in the making. I was a full time college student at the time and still made time to devour all the latest on the Watergate scandal..
I remember going out to the car while attending the Spokane World Fair and Expo in 1974 to hear Nixon resign from the Presidency of the United States.
Mr. Felt may not be universally accepted as a patriot for his “Deep Throat” by everyone but he surely brought the level of journalism to a highwater mark. His place in history is well beyond the “15 minutes of fame” cited by Andy Warhol.
Dec 20, 2008, 10:40 pm
I don’t think there is a need for a story in the Boise Guardian about the non story in the Idaho Statesman. Maybe you should just write a letter to the editor of the Statesman if their lack of content offends you.
Dec 21, 2008, 11:20 am
Bob, (may I call you Bob), you miss the point and the real fun here.
What joy would it bring for someone at the rag to bring a letter to the editor, to the editor, and have the response be ” get some of this in a re-write or follow up NOW! He is not gonna make us look foolish!”? Absolutely no giggles there!
OR:
“Damnit, I am the editor of this rag, and I am getting real sick of being made to look foolish by a photographer!”
Simply put, it is a lot more fun to point out where the rag isn’t doing their job, than to do their job for them!! Besides, if the rag DID do their job, the Guardian could schedule a lot more fun trips around the world taking photos of beautiful people and places.
Dec 21, 2008, 12:36 pm
I noted another missing story. My daughter who lives in Western Kentucky told me that there was a front page story about the stunning amount of snow received in North Idaho as well as Washington. I didn’t notice a single story about this in the Statesman (perhaps I’m blind) and got my information about it from relatives in Rathdrum and Spokane.
Dec 29, 2008, 11:36 pm
wow, this is a much better blog than the statesman, real people with real things to say.
Jan 2, 2009, 9:45 am
I’m digging out from vacation, Dave, but give me a break. The Dec. 19 story on Felt — published one day before the wire story that is the subject of your post — prominently mentions that Felt was a Twin Falls native and University of Idaho alumnus. How about a correction?
EDITOR NOTE– We obviously didn’t see the previous version.