Media Fallout in Miami
Media Log briefly mentioned this tragic/bizarre incident last week, but the story just won't go away. On July 27 Arthur Teele, a former Miami Commissioner under indictment, killed himself in the lobby of The Miami Herald shortly after speaking to Herald columnist Jim DeFede and just as a weekly paper, the Miami New Times, was publishing a salacious story about his penchant for sex, drugs, and corruption under the inflammatory headline "Tales of Teele: Sleaze Stories."
Sleaze stories Naturally, there was plenty of handwringing and an outpouring of public sentiment -- some of it even calling the wrath of God down upon the paper -- in response to the New Times's story that some blamed for Teele's death. Take a gander here.
letters to the editor On Aug. 4, New Times editor Jim Mullin, in a column headlined "In the Aftermath," made an attempt to explain the paper's thinking and to offer a mild dose of contrition or at least introspection. "To date no one knows if Teele read the article before ending his life," he wrote. "At the least, it's likely he'd heard about it. Did it contribute to his fateful decision? Only Art Teele knows the answer to that question and he took it with him to his grave. I am left to wonder and to worry, and will do so for years to come."
Mullin's column I guess the New Times guys will have to do battle with their own consciences, but the story has taken another twist as well. The Miami Herald's DeFede, who was fired for illegally taping a phone call with Teele without his knowledge shortly before the beleaguered official killed himself, has been engaged in a campaign to get his job back. This past weekend he went on CNN's "Reliable Sources" with Howie Kurtz to argue that a suspension was a more appropriate punishment than termination.
Reliable Sources DeFede has generated a lot of support from fellow journalists who believe his punishment did not fit the crime, but the Herald has remained steadfast.
petition in support of DeFede Now, in a story published today by Editor & Publisher, DeFede is taking another tack, arguing that the Herald should bring in an outside arbiter or panel to decide his fate. Not surprisingly, Herald editor Tom Fiedler rejected the idea that the paper subcontract a decision on DeFede's status to a third party.
Editor & Publisher Now I'm someone who feels DeFede has been treated too roughly, that the Herald probably would have been better served by a little more moderation, and that journalists willing to rally behind a colleague on principle is a good thing. And I'm certainly not allergic to seeing bosses take heat for decisions.
But his proposal for a court of appeals on personnel decisions sure is precedent setting. Think how many disgraced or disgruntled journalists -- some with legitimate beefs probably -- could retroactively ask for a second opinion on their status. (Calling Jayson Blair) This could be the single biggest breakthough in managment/worker relations since the creation of OSHA, the minimum wage and child labor laws combined.
Mark Jurkowitz can be reached at MJurkowitz@Phx.com