I enclose the letter to the editor I sent to the Boston Globe yesterday. But upon further reflection, I believe action on your part is also required.
Rereading Eileen McNamara's column, I am more convinced than ever that it's probable she did not attend the Salem conference--at least in any significant way. If you read her column, you will see that it is factually void. No mention of who attended, who spoke. Her one "quote" is unattributed. Her characterization of the conference is wholly and unforgivably inaccurate. Such a basic fact as the conference's location is wrong, for Christ's sake!
Did she go to Salem? She never explicitly says that she did, but she certainly tries to give that impression. (The column is datelined Salem after all.) And if she did go, where did she spend her time? In the hotel bar?
The conference events began at 1 p.m on Monday and ran nearly non-stop until 5 p.m. on Tuesday. What was Ms. McNamara's timetable? Which events did she attend? Which speakers did she hear? What background research did she do before attending? Did she bother to interview one single person? Did she take any notes?
Now it may be that she did attend, and that she is so biased and so incompetent a journalist that she had radically to rewrite everything she heard so as to be consistent with her prejudices.
I cochair the Political issues Committee of the National Writers Union (UAW Local 1981) and a very large percentage of our 4,500 members are journalists--some of the most respected journalists working today. We care very deeply about the integrity and credibility of our profession. Journalism is no longer respected by much of the American public because so many journalists have gotten too lazy, too biased and too sloppy.
You are a journalist that I respect, and you did some great work for the Phoenix. I was delighted when I heard you were going to be Globe Ombudsman. I hope you'll investigate this matter as the good investigative journalist that you are. I trust that you will get to the bottom of things. At best, Ms. McNamara is guilty of incompetence and massive bias. At worst, she has committed a most serious breach of professional ethics. I trust you to find out what happened, and to inform Globe readers of the results of your investigation.
Sincerely,
Bob Chatelle, Cochair, Political Issues Committee
National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981