America - Foleygate: Media Responds

I sent out about two dozen emails to people on the Guild's contact list. So far, I've gotten one response from Bill Salganik, who I believe is with the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild.

Sir --

I agree you deserve a response.

I believe your characterization of President Foley's comments is not
quite correct. I don't think she said U.S. troops target journalists; I believe she criticized the Department of Defense for not investigating fully the deaths of journalists. I don't believe there is a transcript of her comments, although if you have one, I'd like to see it. The
trade magazine Editor and Publisher reported this about a letter Ms. Foley sent to President Bush on the issue:

begin quote from Editor and Publisher

Her comments at the conference followed the letter she sent last month to President Bush criticizing the U.S. investigation into the deaths of journalists in Iraq, including several during an attack on the Palestine Hotel in 2003.

In that attack, two journalists -- one from Spain and the other from Ukraine -- were killed. She also noted the bombing of the Al Jazeera office the same day, in which a reporter died. "Neither of these attacks has been independently investigated nor have the deaths been properly explained to the satisfaction of the victims' families, their friends and their colleagues," the letter said, in part.

end quote from Editor and Publisher

Assuming this is accurate, I think her marks are appropriate. One
important difference between this and the CNN dispute is that Eason
Jordan's job was to maintain CNN's appearance of objectivity; Linda
Foley's job is to represent and protect journalists. I haven't
researched the CNN dispute in detail, so I'm not expressing an opinion
on that.

-- Bill Salganik

I replied and sent him a link to Trey Jackson's transcript and video.

We'll see if we get a reply.
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