DEFEDE/Blood Stains Miami's Herald
A politician commits suicide and a star reporter loses his job.
By Jonathan Darman Newsweek
Art Teele sounded different to Jim DeFede—and not in a good way. A columnist for The Miami Herald, DeFede had talked to Teele, a former Miami commissioner, countless times in the past 14 years. But when Teele dialed up last Wednesday, he sounded so dark and unhinged that DeFede's instincts told him to plug his tape recorder into the phone. The subject of an ongoing corruption investigation, Teele was obsessed with stories in the Miami media alleging he'd hired a male prostitute. "You know what happens when you Google my name now?" Teele asked. "All that comes up is the homosexual stuff." Looking down at his tape recorder, DeFede felt like a 911 dispatcher, talking to a man on the edge.
He wasn't that far off. That afternoon, Teele shot himself in the Herald's lobby, ending his life. De-Fede and the Herald, meanwhile, found themselves at the center of a bourgeoning journalistic scandal. Shortly after learning of Teele's suicide, DeFede informed Herald publisher Jesus Diaz Jr. of the tape-recorded conversation, adding that he'd neglected to ask Teele's consent to record the conversation, a journalistic error and a potential violation of Florida law. "I made an honest mistake," DeFede told NEWSWEEK, "I thought the Herald would stand by me." Late that same night, with Teele's blood still splattered on the terrazzo lobby floor, Diaz informed DeFede he was no longer an employee of The Miami Herald.
In the Herald newsroom, the dismissal was met with widespread dismay. Many reporters believed DeFede had made an honest mistake in a stressful circumstance and that the paper's response had been hasty and harsh. On Thursday, Diaz and executive editor Tom Fiedler met with staffers to explain their actions. One reporter asked Fiedler and Diaz if "the lesson we're supposed to take away from this [is] that when we do something wrong, we just shouldn't tell you about it?"
Perhaps. As DeFede left the Herald building on Wednesday, he took a call from Fiedler, who lamented, "I wish you hadn't told anybody about the tape." (Fiedler says he was simply noting the "irony" of DeFede's having gotten himself into trouble by "being so damn honest." Fiedler and Diaz note that while the Herald always looks out for the well-being of its reporters, in situations where reporters may have broken the law, the paper's first obligation is to protect itself.) DeFede says he hopes his Herald bosses will reverse their decision, but they say that isn't likely. Meanwhile, the reporter may still face charges in Miami-Dade for taping Teele's words. The Herald now says it will cover his legal costs. A remaining line of revenge for the columnist? Billable sessions for planning his defense.
With Rebecca Wakefield in Miami
By Jonathan Darman NewsweekArt Teele sounded different to Jim DeFede—and not in a good way. A columnist for The Miami Herald, DeFede had talked to Teele, a former Miami commissioner, countless times in the past 14 years. But when Teele dialed up last Wednesday, he sounded so dark and unhinged that DeFede's instincts told him to plug his tape recorder into the phone. The subject of an ongoing corruption investigation, Teele was obsessed with stories in the Miami media alleging he'd hired a male prostitute. "You know what happens when you Google my name now?" Teele asked. "All that comes up is the homosexual stuff." Looking down at his tape recorder, DeFede felt like a 911 dispatcher, talking to a man on the edge.
He wasn't that far off. That afternoon, Teele shot himself in the Herald's lobby, ending his life. De-Fede and the Herald, meanwhile, found themselves at the center of a bourgeoning journalistic scandal. Shortly after learning of Teele's suicide, DeFede informed Herald publisher Jesus Diaz Jr. of the tape-recorded conversation, adding that he'd neglected to ask Teele's consent to record the conversation, a journalistic error and a potential violation of Florida law. "I made an honest mistake," DeFede told NEWSWEEK, "I thought the Herald would stand by me." Late that same night, with Teele's blood still splattered on the terrazzo lobby floor, Diaz informed DeFede he was no longer an employee of The Miami Herald.
In the Herald newsroom, the dismissal was met with widespread dismay. Many reporters believed DeFede had made an honest mistake in a stressful circumstance and that the paper's response had been hasty and harsh. On Thursday, Diaz and executive editor Tom Fiedler met with staffers to explain their actions. One reporter asked Fiedler and Diaz if "the lesson we're supposed to take away from this [is] that when we do something wrong, we just shouldn't tell you about it?"
Perhaps. As DeFede left the Herald building on Wednesday, he took a call from Fiedler, who lamented, "I wish you hadn't told anybody about the tape." (Fiedler says he was simply noting the "irony" of DeFede's having gotten himself into trouble by "being so damn honest." Fiedler and Diaz note that while the Herald always looks out for the well-being of its reporters, in situations where reporters may have broken the law, the paper's first obligation is to protect itself.) DeFede says he hopes his Herald bosses will reverse their decision, but they say that isn't likely. Meanwhile, the reporter may still face charges in Miami-Dade for taping Teele's words. The Herald now says it will cover his legal costs. A remaining line of revenge for the columnist? Billable sessions for planning his defense.
With Rebecca Wakefield in Miami
© 2005 Newsweek, Inc.
posted by Rui at 10:37 da tarde
.JPG){kind=small}
<< Home