From today’s New York Times:

An unusual number of journalists from prominent, mainstream organizations started new government jobs in January, providing new kindling to the debate over whether Mr. Obama is receiving unusually favorable treatment in the news media.

(Speaking of, why not revisit this CJR essay, “In The Tank”).

Among the new hires: Douglas Frantz, a former managing editor of and investigative reporter at The Los Angeles Times, who is now Sen. John Kerry’s chief investigator on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Mr. Frantz, who left The Los Angeles Times as it was changing owners in 2007, said he was ready for a career change. But he acknowledged, “If the newspaper industry were more robust, I would hope to still be managing editor of The Los Angeles Times.”

With a press aide for Mr. Kerry monitoring the interview — the sort of arrangement that annoys reporters — Mr. Frantz said he did not view his new job as promoting any partisan aim.

“Pursuing the truth is apolitical,” he said.

More such hires may be in the works. Per the Times, “Administration officials report they have had discussions with other print journalists looking for work as their news organizations begin to shed jobs.”