Inside (Israel) Baseball, cont'd: The backstory to the attack on Our Man Elli's objectivity extends to email complaint to editors about IBL exposé

Well, our Israel baseball weekend broke into a flurry of emails, phone calls and readers’ complaints about the latest bizarre sidebar in the story— the one about Jay L. Abramoff, a former sports editor at the Jerusalem Post who mass-emailed an opinion piece in which he defends the Israel Baseball League, criticizes the Israel news media and accuses Our Man Elli in Israel—the only journalist who’s covered this story and moved it forward-– of bias in his reportage (he also called us a “friend’s blog, but don’t get us started).

As we’d mentioned, there’s history to this feud and this man’s crusade, and if you’d wonder why we’d give such international exposure to one schmuck with an opinion and an email account, here’s why—and get ready for this:

Back in August 2007, the day before Haaretz published Our Man Elli truth-baring exposé of the IBL’s first (and last) season, Abramoff, who’d written the curtain raiser to the IBL championship game, fired off an email to various Haaretz editors and others, insinuating that Elli’s reportage was colored by personal considerations and conflict of interest.

Not nice. Bad Jay.

Here is the letter Mr. Abramoff sent to the English editor of Haaretz, the outgoing assistant editor, the incoming assistant editor, the night editor, and two guys who worked on the night desk (including Our Man Elli):

Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:03:07 +0200
From: "Jay L. Abramoff"
Subject: Anglo File this week
Adar, et al.,

I would like to express my extreme disappointment about publishing Elli Wohlgelernter's piece on the Israel Baseball League. I saw (but did not read) a version of it in english@haaretz.co.il, but I read the teaser that appeared on Page 1 of today's (Thursday's) newspaper. The teaser reports "unprofessional" behavior by the IBL, but what we are doing is unprofessional and just plain poor journalism. I am confident that Elli's story is actually an example good journalism, even though Elli may have personal reasons for writing such a story.

As far as I know, Haaretz paid Daphna Berman to write a piece on the IBL that appeared in the Anglo File section and is now paying Elli to write the piece that is set to appear in tomorrow's paper and on the Web site, but did not pay anyone else to write stories on the IBL. Throughout the two-month season, Haaretz did not pay anyone to cover the league, except for a Hebrew edition reporter and photographer who attended opening day and the championship game (even though the reporter did not write actual news stories for either game). We relied on the IBL itself to provide daily reports and photos and AP for the opening day report, and now we are going to publish a full-page story that criticizes how they ran their league the first season?

About a month ago, I was asked by a night editor why our IBL reports were the same as those that appeared in The Jerusalem Post. My answer was because neither media outlet was paying someone to cover the league on a daily basis, and Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post were both using the reports sent to us by the IBL itself.

The IBL had an unpaid intern, Nathaniel Edelstein, who sent in the daily reports (except the last week of the season). When I was Sports Editor at the Post, I asked Nate to cover the IBL beginning last fall, and then in the spring - before I was offered a position at Haaretz-- I recommended to him that he work for the league, as opposed to working exclusively for the Post as an intern for the summer. His material would then be published on the IBL web site and in many media outlets instead of just the Post. I do not know whether the IBL would have been able to provide Haaretz with these daily reports if Nate, with a little help and advice from myself, had not begun to cover the IBL and then agree to work for the league.

Upon hearing the explanation as to why the reports were the same in both media outlets, this night editor asked me to rewrite the IBL stories when I worked on the sports desk, which, if I had the time, was happy to do so, in order to make our IBL reports more unique and exclusive. I attended many games, out of my own interest and not because Haaretz hired me to do so, as a guest of the IBL because of my position at Haaretz and previous position at the Post. On the other hand, anyone else who worked on the sports desk during the season did not bother to rewrite these reports because they were not as familiar with the league or they just did not care enough.

Jay L. Abramoff

The email smear brought this reply from Elli:

Date: Thu,30 Aug 2007 16:12:00-0700(PDT)
From: ELLI Subject:
Re: Anglo File this week
To: "Jay L. Abramoff"

jay, i'm a little confused about all this:

"Jay L. Abramoff wrote:
Adar, et al.,
…what we are doing is unprofessional…”

---can you tell me why?

“…and just plain poor journalism.”

---can you tell me why there as well?

“…I am confident that Elli's story is actually an example good journalism…”

---that would seem to contradict what you just said.

“…even though Elli may have personal reasons for writing such a story.”

---can you explain that? i thought i was writing it because, as a journalist for 32 years, i felt it was a good story, and worked my ass off cultivating sources and writing it. if there's a different reason, please share it with everyone.

"…As far as I know, Haaretz paid Daphna Berman to write a piece on the IBL… and is now paying Elli to write the piece…”

---that's a gripe you have with management for not paying anyone all season, but what does that have to do with my story?

“…Throughout the two-month season, Haaretz did not pay anyone to cover the league… and now we are going to publish a full-page story that criticizes how they ran their league the first season?"

---actually, as you may see if you read my story, i criticize the media for their lack of interest, and newspapers for running the league stories as is, which clearly refers to haaretz and the post. so if anything, haaretz is being incredibly gutsy by running my story.

“…Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post were both using the reports sent to us by the IBL itself…”

---which is certainly a shanda

“The IBL had an unpaid intern, Nathaniel Edelstein, who sent in the daily reports…”

---ok, so if the league wouldn't have supplied the post and haaretz with stories, there might not have been any stories. who would have suffered? in any case, what does that have to do with my story?

“…I attended many games, out of my own interest and not because Haaretz hired me to do so, as a guest of the IBL…”

---every media person attended as a "guest" of the league, that's called a media pass, it is standard practice in the business. in any case, what does that have to do with my story?

“…Anyone else who worked on the sports desk during the season did not bother to rewrite these reports because they were not as familiar with the league or they just did not care enough.”

---that's a lie. i rewrote the ibl story each and every time i worked on the desk - twice a week for two months - and you know it. and i rewrote it not because the post was printing the same version, but because the submiited stories of the league were beyond pathetic, as i write in tomorrow's paper, and would have been an embarrassment to haaretz to print it as written. moreover, i wrote the exclusive story on july 17 about the players threatening to strike, without being asked, and without being paid. in any case, what's your point?

elli wohlgelernter

***

Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:55:48 +0200
From: "Jay L. Abramoff"
To: ELLI

Elli,

In my previous e-mail to you, I assumed your article was exclusive to Haaretz. It apparently wasn't:

http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=14471
http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=18108

So, Haaretz decided to buy a non-exclusive story on the IBL after using IBL material for two months. Again, I question the decision and pattern of decisions made, not the story.

Jay

***

Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2007 11:00:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: ELLI
To: "Jay L. Abramoff"
CC: Ruth Meisels, Haaretz Steven Klein

"Jay L. Abramoff wrote: Elli, in my previous e-mail to you…”

---to me? it was to the whole editorial staff of haaretz. what do you mean to me?

“I assumed your article was exclusive to Haaretz.”

---you assumed that, but no one else did. and what the hell does that have to do with anything? had it been exclusive, you wouldn't have written your bullshit email?

“It apparently wasn't:
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=14471
http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=18108 ”

---do your homework, you missed one:
http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/083007/sptsHitsAndErrors.html

“So, Haaretz decided to buy…”

---"buy," not "run"; interesting. is that what's pissing you off, that haaretz never paid you to do anything for them on the baseball league? so you're pissed off, and you attempt to besmirch my journalistic reputation? again, please share with everyone what exactly were my personal reasons for writing the story?

“a non-exclusive story…”

---we never said or implied it was exclusive. although there were some new things in the haaretz version; and in any case, in this country's print media, it is

“…on the IBL after using IBL material for two months…”

---again i ask, what the hell difference does that make? we used their material, therefore we owe them something? they should be thanking us for using it, otherwise there would have been no coverage at all. using their material put us under no obligation (to) the league. what next, that we also owe them something because they used our printing press to publish their scorecards?

“Again, I question the decision and pattern of decisions made, not the story…”

---the editors of haaretz don't owe you an explanation on "the decision and pattern of decisions made."

if you don't understand it, that's your ignorance at work.

elli

More to come. Stay tuned.