Michael Kelly (editor)
Michael Kelly | |
---|---|
Born | March 17, 1957 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Died | April 4, 2003 Baghdad Governorate, Iraq | (aged 46)
Cause of death | War-related vehicular accident |
Resting place | Mount Auburn Cemetery Hibiscus Path, Lot no. 10740[1] 42°22′20.7″N 71°8′44.3″W / 42.372417°N 71.145639°W |
Education | University of New Hampshire (BA) |
Occupation(s) | Journalist, author, columnist, editor |
Years active | 1983–2003 |
Known for | Reporting during the Gulf War |
Notable work | Martyrs' Day: Chronicles of a Small War (1993) Things Worth Fighting For: Collected Writings (2004) |
Spouse | Madelyn Kelly |
Children | 2 |
Awards | Martha Albrand Award; National Magazine Awards |
Website | kellyaward |
Michael Thomas Kelly (March 17, 1957 – April 4, 2003) was an American journalist for The New York Times, a columnist for The Washington Post and The New Yorker, and a magazine editor for The New Republic, National Journal, and The Atlantic. He came to prominence through his reporting on the 1990–1991 Gulf War, and was well known for his political profiles and commentary. He suffered professional embarrassment for his role as senior editor in the Stephen Glass scandal at The New Republic. Kelly was killed in 2003 while covering the invasion of Iraq; he was the first US journalist to die during this war.[2][3][4]
During a journalism career that spanned 20 years, Kelly received a number of professional awards for his book on the Gulf War and his articles, as well as for his magazine editing. In his honor, the Michael Kelly Award for journalism was established, as well as a scholarship at his alma mater, the University of New Hampshire.
Early life and education
Born in Washington, D.C. as one of four children,[5] Kelly followed both of his parents into journalism.[6] His mother is Marguerite (Lelong) Kelly,[7] a columnist from New Orleans who wrote "The Family Almanac" for The Washington Post, and his father was Thomas Vincent Kelly (August 2, 1923 – June 17, 2010), a political and features reporter for The Washington Star (formerly The Washington Daily News),[3][8] and later for The Washington Times.[5]
Kelly attended Gonzaga College High School, as his father had done. He graduated in 1979 from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He had worked on the college newspaper, The New Hampshire.[5][3][9]
Career
Kelly's first media job was booking guests for ABC News and its Good Morning America television program.[6] He was a newspaper journalist for The Cincinnati Post (1983–1986), The Baltimore Sun (1986–1989) and later, after writing freelance and reporting in the first Gulf War, he worked for The New York Times (1992–1994).[3][6] While he worked freelance, his articles were published in The Boston Globe and GQ. The New Republic published his reporting on the Persian Gulf War in 1991.[3] He was a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine. In 1994, he joined The New Yorker and wrote its "Letter From Washington" column until his departure in 1996.[3]
At that point in his career, Kelly had worked with editors such as
Writer
After losing his job at The New Republic, Kelly was hired by
Martyrs' Day: Chronicles of a Small War
External videos | |
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Booknotes interview with Kelly on Martyr's Day: Chronicle of a Small War, March 28, 1993, C-SPAN |
Kelly won awards and accolades for his 1991 coverage of the first Gulf War. The United States military used a pool management system to organize reporters, control access, and gain favorable coverage, but Kelly opted out of that system in favor of independent reporting.
His book received the
The New Yorker's David Remnick said Kelly's journalistic account, describing horror during war, belonged to the same genre as George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia about the Spanish Civil War or Ernie Pyle's reporting during World War II.[3] Hertzberg of The New Republic said "Highway to Hell", which appeared April 1, 1991, was "most memorable",[9] and Vare of The Atlantic praised the same article for its "emotional impact."[10]
Profile of Hillary Clinton
Kelly wrote "Saint Hillary" for The New York Times Magazine in 1993.[20] In 2005, Matt Bai writing for The New York Times referred to it as "what became a famous article about Hillary Clinton" in his preface to his description.[21] In Columbia Journalism Review, Gal Beckerman referred to it as a "mocking cover story".[22]
Death
Kelly wanted to report on the start of the
During that invasion, Kelly was traveling in a Humvee vehicle with Staff Sergeant Wilbert Davis, a 15-year U.S. Army veteran,[24] when the vehicle was fired upon by Iraqi soldiers. The vehicle carrying Kelly and Davis veered off an embankment and into a canal below. Both men died in the attack.[25] Kelly was the first U.S. reporter officially killed in action in Iraq.[26]
Views
Kelly was critical of the political establishment in both political parties, as well as of the power structure in Hollywood. He wrote a critique of Ted Kennedy that was published in GQ in 1990 and reprinted by that magazine upon Kennedy's death. He skewered Al Gore numerous times over the years. He supported U.S. military intervention during both the presidencies of Bill Clinton and of George W. Bush. He was an outspoken critic of the anti-Iraq war movement.[27][28]
Kelly coined the term "
In September 2002, Kelly sharply criticized former vice president Al Gore for a speech that condemned the Bush administration's efforts to generate support for the coming invasion of Iraq. In a column in The Washington Post, Kelly wrote Gore's speech was "wretched. It was vile. It was contemptible." He said Gore's speech "was one no decent politician could have delivered" and was "bereft of anything other than taunts and jibes and embarrassingly obvious lies."[31][32] In 2013, journalist James Fallows, who had worked with Kelly and was close to him, said that Kelly's attack on Gore "was not merely wrong. It was 'dishonest, cheap, low.'"[33]
Personal life
Kelly met his wife Madelyn Greenberg, a producer at
Legacy and honors
External videos | |
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"Tribute to Michael Kelly", hosted by Politics and Prose Bookstore, April 21, 2004, C-SPAN |
Kelly's legacy remains divided. On one side, he is remembered as a journalist who "stood for truth, and died for his beliefs."[36] But he has been criticized for his vocal support for the invasion of Iraq (which ended in an eight-year insurgency against American troops and the reformed Iraqi forces), an event partially attributed by some to a press perceived as being not critical enough.[37] Combined as it was with his support of Stephen Glass during his scandal, Gawker editor Tom Scocca said that Kelly had the "distinction of an active role in two of the worst failures of journalism in a generation."[38][37][39]
Scocca further wrote: "It's not simply that Kelly was wrong, nor that he was wrong about important things. It's that he was aggressively, manipulatively, and smugly wrong."[38]
The
Michael Kelly's name, along with those of
Kelly's collected works were published posthumously as Things Worth Fighting For: Collected Writings (2004).[44]
Michael Kelly Award
The Michael Kelly Award, sponsored by the Atlantic Media Company, is awarded for "the fearless pursuit and expression of truth";[45] the prize is $25,000 for the winner and $3,000 for the runners-up.[40][46]
References
- ^ a b "Map". Mount Auburn Cemetery. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "US journalist killed in Iraq". BBC News. April 5, 2003. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Carr, David (April 5, 2003). "Michael Kelly, 46, Editor And Columnist, Dies in Iraq". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ a b Porteus, Liza (April 4, 2003). "American Journalist Michael Kelly Killed in Iraq". Fox News Channel. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Washington journalist and Capitol Hill resident Thomas V. Kelly dies at 86". Washingtonpost.com. June 20, 2010. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Scrivo, Karen Lee (December 1999). "Prodigious Progeny". American Journalism Review. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ a b "Michael T. Kelly obituary". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "Mother's Almanac, Revisited". The New York Times. April 27, 1989. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Shafer, Jack (April 3, 2003). "Michael Kelly (1957–2003)". Slate. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ a b c Vare, Robert (April 2004). "True to His Words". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ a b Wheatcroft, Geoffrey (April 7, 2003). "Michael Kelly". The Guardian (UK). Archived from the original on August 27, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- Stamper, Chris (April 19, 2003). "Man knows not his time". World magazine. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- York, Byron (April 4, 2003). "A Courageous Man: Michael Kelly, R.I.P." National Review.
- Depena, Barbara B. (May 26, 2011). "Peretz faces dual legacy". Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Bissinger, H.G. (September 1998). "Shattered Glass". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Aucoin, Don (July 25, 2002). "In high gear". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Scott Sherman (2002). "What makes a serious magazine soar?". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. Retrieved August 18, 2007.
- ^ Weiss, Tara (May 8, 2003). "Atlantic Wins, Mourns Editor". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "Statement from Atlantic Media on the death of Michael Kelly". Atlantic Media. April 4, 2003. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction Winners". PEN American Center. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 1-59420-012-2.
- ^ Kelly, Michael (May 23, 1993). "Saint Hillary". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014.
- ^ Bai, Matt (October 2, 2005). "Mrs. Triangulation". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Beckerman, Gal (November 20, 2007). "Hillary plays the game". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "US poised for Baghdad battle". BBC News. April 3, 2003. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- Military Times. April 3, 2003. Archivedfrom the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Obituary". The Atlantic Monthly. June 2003. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Scanlan, Chip (April 4, 2003). "Michael Kelly's Death and Life". Poynter Institute. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Kelly, Michael (October 23, 2002). "Anti-war effort perverts liberal values". Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Kelly, Michael (January 22, 2003). "Marching with Stalinists". Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Pipes, Daniel (February 14, 2004). "Fusion paranoia – A new twist in conspiracy theories". The Jerusalem Post.
- ^ Kelly, Michael (June 19, 1995). "A Reporter at Large, "The Road to Paranoia"". The New Yorker. p. 60. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Timothy Noah (September 24, 2002). "Gore Is Consistent on Iraq". Slate. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
- ^ Michael Kelly (September 25, 2002). "Look Who's Playing Politics". The Washington Post.
- ^ Fallows, James (April 6, 2013). "Ta-Nehisi Coates and Michael Kelly". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ Dowd, Maureen (April 6, 2003). "The Best Possible Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Special! An interview with author Katy Kelly". Books We Love from the Park Ridge Public Library Children's Staff. April 29, 2009. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ Stephens, Bret (April 1, 2013). "Remembering Michael Kelly". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Coates, Ta-Nehisi (April 5, 2013). "Some Thoughts on Michael Kelly". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Scocca, Tom. "A Stupid Death in a Stupid War: Remembering Michael Kelly". Gawker. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ "Michael Kelly and the War Archived June 25, 2022, at the Wayback Machine" by Michael Tomasky, The Daily Beast, April 04, 2013.
- ^ Atlantic Media Company. Archived from the originalon December 2, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
- ^ "Michael Kelly Journalism Scholarship". Department of English, University of New Hampshire. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "War Correspondents Memorial". Dept. of Natural Resources, Maryland. October 1, 2003. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ Landwehr, Steve (April 8, 2008). "Five years later, Kelly family has good days and bad". The Salem News. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "By the editors". The Atlantic Monthly. April 2004. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "The Michael Kelly Award". Archived from the original on February 25, 2021.
- ^ "Call for Entries: Atlantic Media's 2020 Michael Kelly Award". The Atlantic. January 15, 2020. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.