Gannett is likely a Mockingbird news laundering service to give out CIA talking points. What's funny is that a fair portion of reporters probably know, but most simply do as their told and follow the script, unaware who is pulling the puppet strings.
You are over thinking this. He's in his office, miked up, reading a stack of what looks like news clippings, letting someone openly take his photo, which gets punlisted late online.
He's not perving kids, in this photo at least.