"The neat thing about coming on something like this is that we get more than we give, to learn from other people who have so little."
-- Jack Kelley, as quoted by The Washington Post about his charity work in Kenya, in a recent story about the whereabouts of the disgraced USA Today reporter. The Post says Kelley lives with his wife, Jacki, and their young daughter in a $2 million home in upscale New Canaan, Conn. Jacki Kelley, once an advertising executive at USAT, is now global chief executive for Universal McCann, a media agency based in New York, according to the Post.
I don't know this guy, but he is paying the ultimate price for his journalistic sin. His wife was a success at USAT and obviously in her current job, and is not to blame for his mess. She has been the sole family breadwinner since he committed career suicide. I think I read once the he is very religious and perhaps the volunteer work is a way of making amends. He certainly will never have a job in a newsroom again. He is also lucky that his wife did not dump him.
ReplyDeletePeople who worked at USAT can can offer m insight into how this guy treated his colleagues and if had any personally redeemable qualities. Editor Karen Jergenson did not know about his actions and got fired over it.
If the Kellys are smart, they should downsize their life, because the ad industry is about as stable as the news industry.
When I saw the story, part of me thought, doesn't the Post have anything better to do than a story that only journalists would care about? Their municipal and suburban coverage stinks after so may layoffs/buyouts. Plus, since the Post lives in a fragile glass house itself, do a "what happened to" Janet Cooke. She was last known to be working retail and poor.
I used to love the Post, but after so many layoffs and defections, it is a shadow of its former self. Guess we won't see anything in the Post about a story by arch rival Allbritton Communications that just came out in the Washingtonian:
Marcus Brauchli is Sinking the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/people/capitalcomment/20217.html
New Canaan seems to be a magnet for well paid USAT execs. Kelley lives there, as does Lee Jones, Jeffrey Wilks and someone else whose name escapes me at the moment.
ReplyDeleteJacki Kelley is sorely missed at USAT, but she got tired of all the indecision, the constant budget meetings, and the constant interference from people who didn't know shit about selling advertising. I can't help but think how she would have guided us through this transformation (or whatever we're calling it now). My guess is we would have moved a lot faster, hired a lot less deadwood, and employees would be totally excited and engaged in the process.....and the prospects for success. Right now, few people feel that way.
ReplyDeleteDont begrudge jack. Blame the enablers at usat who allowed his charade to go on for years, despite the red flags.
ReplyDeleteWho cares where he is or what he's doing? He and his ilk are zeros.
ReplyDeleteAs a fabricator and weasle faced ass kisser, Jack was a somebody. He had the Curleys and Neuharth bamboozled, along with a sucession of high ranking editors. If he hadnt finally been outed, who knows how much more fucked up USA Today would have become. Hal Ritter would still be killing careers, his deputies would be ostracizing people and weirdo tea lady Karen Jurgensen would still be shuffling around the newsroom like an out of touch schoolmarm. At least with Hillkirk and the gang, its hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.
ReplyDeleteAt least with Hillkirk and the gang, its hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. He must have learned that from Paulson, along with just be evil.
ReplyDeleteI worked at USAT in Circulation and met Jack Kelley several times in meetings at national and in Florida. He seemed to be a gentleman and a class act. Folks in circulation would love to hear him speak and chat with him. Maybe we were snowed like so many others were.
ReplyDeleteWhere does this blogger get any indication that Jack is living a "let them eat cake" existence? They don't. It just makes good headlines. If they want to continue criticizing this man for his past trangressions, that is fine. However, don't fabricate a feeling, attitude or action that could not be further from the truth. Marie Antoinette, whether she said the words or not, the quote reflected the princess's obliviousness to the condition of the people. Jack is not oblivious. He is doing something to help another's plight. In addition, he is humbling himself by saying that these people (who literally have almost nothing) are showing him how to live with class and dignity. Let's hope and pray that the blogger is on the path toward repair for all they have done in the past.
ReplyDeletenice job on resurrecting a year old forgotten thread.
ReplyDelete