By David Bedein
January 8, 2006
Publisher's Note: In the following "letter to colleagues" David Bedein does what is rare in Israel media, indeed, media anywhere. He admits his mistakes. David is a long-time colleague, first-rate reporter and his Israel Resource News Agency is a valued "source" in the Jerusalem. I like him and respect his work, and his credibility batting average is very high.
Thus when he (and another two sources) communicated to us an announcement that Ariel Sharon was dead, basing his claim on official sources, and followed it the next day with a verification, we believed him and, in the interest of getting the news out to our readers, published it as a report. David here explains what happened, with chagrin and regrets, and I give him credit for taking responsibility for his mistake and having the courage to own up to it.
For our part in publishing an incorrect or misleading report, despite the various confirmations received at the time, I profoundly apologize as well. In the present case, I am grateful to have been misled and incorrect, and can only hope that our report of irreversible brain damage in our Prime Minister proves wrong as well. And I feel compelled to pass on David's explanation to you, my readers, my colleagues. -- Reuven Koret.
Dear Colleagues,
I think it appropriate to send a personal note to each and everyone of you.
These have been frustrating days.
All we have to sell in our field is our credibility. Nothing else.
On Thursday, at noon, the police in Jerusalem got an SMS message that the PM had died at 11 am. I saw that SMS message.
Doctors at Hadassah were told the same thing. So was Shabak [the "Shin Bet" Israel Security Agency]. My sources in all three entities -- police, Hadassah and Shabak -- confirmed the news.
So I went with it, and sent out a message to my fellow reporters in the Jewish media, with the sad news, assuming that the government announcement was imminent.
The credible New York radio personality Nahum Siegel contacted me, and I appeared on his show, discussing the implications of Sharon's passing for Israel, echoing the Gary Rosenblatt theme that no matter what you think of the guy, he was most certainly the most influential person on the Jewish people.
And then nothing. People who heard the radio show called Hadassah and the hospital held an immediate press conference to squash the news that the PM had died.
That left me in a difficult position.
After 19 years on the job, whatever people have though of my work, which now encompasses a serious news agency and six reporters on the job, people have not doubted my honesty, and I have never been accused of sensationalism or rumor-mongering.
Well, it does not help that I later confirmed that official sources contacted Zaka to take the body.
And, later on, I confirmed that Fox News had reported that, indeed, he was declared dead and a "decision was instead made to put him on life support".
Anywho, the situation is confusing, and it has cost a valuable asset: credibility, and that hurts, because there is no other product that we "sell".
B'vracha.
DAVID
Views expressed by the author do not
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