We've written about Salam Pax recently, and offered him some advice. Looks like he's taking it, which is a good thing. That has only deepened the mystery for many journalists, however, and some crossed important lines along the way.
In "Where Is Salam Pax? Iraq's Web writer has disappeared" David Barton of the Sacramento Bee proves that you can cover this story and still do it responsibly. I was glad to help him out - and happier still when I saw the quality of the final article. Good job! (Hat Tip to loyal reader and correspondent Mike Daley)
David's point about numerous theories re: Salam Pax's identity is especially well taken. The truth is, the reports are conflicting and the popularity of various accounts doesn't necessarily make them accurate. If Salam has any brains, it's also quite likely that some details he has revealed on his blog aren't 100% correct. Reporters and others looking for the real Salam Pax might do well to keep that in mind.
I really hope we don't hear from him agan until the Baathists are finally and completely crushed.
Not a bad piece of journalism, that.
I'd have wished that he'd used one of Salam's comments about the "shields" in his excerpts, though, but I realize that that would be the Sacramento Bee equivalent of pulling a full Benedict Arnett.
Just offer up good thoughts for him while we all wait!
Grumble, grumble. I still have to write that response to Boutin. I have been collecting notes for it, but so far, I just don't feel up to it.
A few updates on this topic: Jeff Jarvis posted a rumor on his BuzzMachine that he got second-hand supposedly off al-jaz.
The English-language version of al-jaz was carrying a story about sp this morning, which irked me. Then the site started going south again. And it only half-worked. I have to go back there and check to see if it's still there.
I suspect the al-jaz rumor was in response to a story about weblogging (which mentioned sp) that appeared on VOA along with a recorded feature which may have been broadcast. This must have made the Ba'athists tear their hair out-- imagine: someone not under their control has been sending messages out to the rest of the world! But, also intriguing: how the heck did al-jaz manage to insinuate themselves back into Baghdad? And did their reported rumor that sp was dead endear them to the regime? Hmmm.
I agree, the Barton story is nice and O.K.
Meanwhile, I am slowly working up a burn at al-jaz English-language site for being irresponsible, but now I am wondering if it's even more sinister than that.
Maybe I should just don an aluminum foil beany and quietly stew here all by myself.
Ah, too many plots and so little time left for that regime!
O.K., I just posted an entry on my blog about this Al Jazeera story.
Fri-Sat Overnight, April 5 - Les Mains Sales?
I mean, what could they be thinking?!
I'm putting no credence to the story he was wounded, for what that's worth. Why (and how, pray tell) would he be in Najaf? We all know he lives in Baghdad, and he mentioned nothing about getting out of town before the invasion.
As for Al Jazeera running the story in the first place, I'm not sure it made much difference, nor was it something that could have ultimately been prevented. (Though his stats don't show it, it's surprising he wasn't found and spread by bilingual Arabs before.)