Here's the email Benyamin Cohen of Jewsweek.com sent out about me to all editors of Jewish publications in the AJPA (American Jewish Press Association). He did not have the courage to share it with me. I found it on the Forward blog of Steven I. Weiss, who owns Protocols and brought me on months ago as a guest blogger. Steven has written for Jewsweek.
Benyamin writes:
To all editors,
If you have not already, you will probably be contacted soon by a guy named Luke Ford, a writer from Los Angeles. He is currently writing a book about Jewish journalism and is asking for interviews with several AJPA members.
Like some of you, I agreed to be interviewed by him. In a transcript he showed me of our conversation, he ended up taking my words out of context and later started acting very discourteous and unprofessional.
Besides this Jewish journalism project, he's been involved in some shady projects in the past (some pornographic, some evenagelical, etc.)
I would highly reccomend to anyone who has yet to speak with him to NOT DO SO. You may come, like I have, to regret it later.
All the best,
Benyamin Cohen
Editor, Jewsweek Magazine
http://www.jewsweek.com
..............
Luke writes Steven Weiss: Steven, I could not have put it any better myself. I am happy to share with you any of the email in question to establish their veracity, as well as the tape of the interview with Benyamin to show that nothing was taken out of context and I was courteous (contrary to Benyamin's allegations).
Cathy Seipp writes Luke: Er...uh...er...uh...
Well, let's see.
He sounds pissy. But so do you, as the email exchange goes on. I would not have asked you to change the word sucks to stinks. But since he did, and it was evidently a big thing to him, and I guess we'll take his word for it that it's not normally how he speaks, and he's not a celebrity or even a public figure, I would probably have gone along with it.
If I didn't know you as I do, I would be more on your side here. But since I do know that sometimes you will dig your heels in and be stubborn for no good reason when it comes to making these sorts of changes -- or actually, changes that are far more serious and really should be made -- I'm inclined to understand why the guy feels pissed off.
