One more post on Elspeth Reeve (Beauchamp)

I ran across a suitable postscript for my tentative final assessment of the Elspeth Reeve portion of the TNR/Scott Thomas/Scott Beauchamp saga.

I had judged that Elspeth Reeve shares some of the fault for the problems at TNR for not taking note of the ethical quagmire of fact-checking hubby's stories.

In an interview Friday, U.S. Army private Scott Thomas Beauchamp's wife Elspeth Reeve, a former reporter-researcher at The New Republic, told the Observer that she was excited when someone at the magazine assigned her to fact-check one of her husband's dispatches from Iraq.

“I was like, 'Sweet! I can talk to Scott on TNR’s dime!'” Ms. Reeve said.
(The New York Observer)

The blurb above attaches to a subsequent story also printed in the Observer. It makes Reeve appear a bit flakier than I suspected since she appears to stand behind Beauchamp's stories and provides no indication that she realizes that she stepped in ethical doo-doo by accepting the fact checking assignment. Though TNR rightly gets top billing in the blame department on that one.

clipped from www.observer.com

Best wishes to the happy couple; may they leave the TNR snafu far in their wake. And consider careers outside of journalism.

*****

TNR stepped in it

The explosion of commentary in the wake of Franklin Foer's final take on the Scott Thomas Beauchamp saga has begun.

I've only read through the second page of Foer's epic discourse, but I was brought up short by TNR's admission that they let Elspeth Reeve fact-check Scott Beauchamp's third published piece--that's after she was also known (albeit not widely) as Mrs. Scott Beauchamp. As I noted here, there's no way TNR should have ever let that happen.

But there was one avoidable problem with our Beauchamp fact-check. His wife, Reeve, was assigned a large role in checking his third piece. While we believe she acted with good faith and integrity--not just in this instance, but throughout this whole ordeal--there was a clear conflict of interest. At the time, our logic--in hindsight, obviously flawed--was that corresponding with a soldier in Iraq is logistically difficult and Reeve was already routinely speaking with him. It was a mistake--and we've imposed new rules to prevent future fact-checking conflicts of interest.
(TNR)

Foer writes that Reeve performed her fact-checking in good faith and I trust that is true at this point, pending the specific exposure of fact-checking errors. There is a problem with the defense of Reeve, however. She should have known she shouldn't be fact-checking Beauchamp's stories. Off with her head? Of course not. Both Reeve and Beauchamp are redeemable figures.

Simply put, however, Reeve does emerge with a dinged reputation. She published a story using her school chums (Beauchamp was one of them) as sources without revealing their relationship, and fact-checked hubby's published work. While TNR should not have allowed it in the first place, she should have protested regardless.

More when I get time.

*****

Elspeth Reeve gone from The New Republic

Elspeth Reeve, the reporter/researcher whose connection to Scott Beauchamp helped lead to the publication of his Baghdad Diarist series in The New Republic, apparently no longer works for the magazine.

Confederate Yankee reports via Patrick W. Gavin that Reeve was doing a 1-year internship at TNR. Confederate Yankee helpfully pointed out that Reeve was first published in early May of 2006, yet remained on the masthead through July of 2007.

I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation, even if it involves a screw-up.

Reeve has now gone absent from the TNR masthead.

In fact, it looks like I get to add a little bit to the story. Not only is Reeve gone as a "reporter/researcher" but the entire group listed from July of this year is gone. Isaac Chotiner and Bradford Plumer also went bye-bye.

So, that leaves us to wonder: Does TNR leave its research to interns (all of whom experienced the end of their internships at approximately the same time), or did TNR find their work unsatisfactory?

Searching a few hits for "Chotiner" put me back at Patrick W. Gavin's site, at the page I couldn't quite connect to from Confederate Yankee:

Of the two other reporter-researchers, Isaac Chotiner left for the Huffington Post and Brad Plumer was promoted to assistant editor.
(mediabistro.com)

One can hope that Plumer's promotion was accounted for by something other than poor research.


*****

Reviewing Richard Miniter on TNR and Scott Beauchamp

Richard Miniter, in part, followed much the same path in reporting the Scott Beauchamp story that I followed.

Here is an updated timeline reflecting Miniter's reporting of the wedding location.

• Scott Beauchamp and Elspeth Reeve associated at the Missouri School of Journalism (~2005)
  
• Beauchamp in Europe by June of 2006--probably already in the armed services
• Beauchamp develops relationship with girl in Germany
• Beauchamp deployed to Kuwait by September 2006, engaged to girl in Germany
• "War Bonds" published in TNR 1/29/07
  
• Beauchamp serves in Iraq from Sept. 2006 through April 2007, at which time he receives 2 weeks R&R.
• Marries Elspeth Reeve (in the United States) rather than the aforementioned fiancee, returns to duty somewhat after he was supposed to arrive.
• "Dead of Night" published 6/7/07
• "Shock Troops" published 7/13/07
• Criticism of "Shock Troops" begins and builds
• Beauchamp publicly identifies himself through TNR
  
• Army takes away his laptop and telephone
  
• Foer confirms for Howard Kurtz that Beauchamp is married to a TNR staffer (7/27/07)

Not much of Miniter's reporting is news to me, but he and I reached very different conclusions regarding the role of Elspeth Reeve. I am not prepared to declare Reeve free and clear before the evidence is all in, but Miniter has not added enough for me to alter my opinion that Reeve deserves the benefit of the doubt until the evidence declares otherwise.

Miniter offered the following reason for suspecting Reeve of malfeasance:

In the days after the party, Elspeth Reeve received the sympathetic attention of editors and fact-checkers at The New Republic’s offices. They did not blame her for escorting a fabricator into the magazine’s inner sanctum, who hoodwinked them and body-slammed the magazine’s reputation, according to McGee. Apparently, they did not ask what responsibility she might bear.

Reeve certainly knew enough about Beauchamp’s strange history of lies to lead her to be careful of his journalism or to speak up when other editors fact-checked his work. Beauchamp’s odd personal history directly bears on his credibility and on Reeve’s fiduciary duty as an editor to flag potential problems.

(Pajamas Media)

TNR published Beauchamp before he and Reeve were married, and the only additional step Beauchamp took into the "inner sanctum" was via his marriage to Reeve--if that even counts. Many businesses, including media outlets, have policies against hiring more than one member of the same immediate family. If TNR has such a policy, then Beauchamp and Reeve set up an obstacle between Beauchamp and the "inner sanctum." He would likely be no more than a freelance contributer so long as she worked there.

I've already noted that Reeve was a fact-checker for TNR (Miniter's announcement that she was one of only three was news to me), but I've already noted that TNR would have been absolutely nuts to let Mrs. Beauchamp fact-check Mr. Beauchamp. There is no reason at present to see anything wrong with Reeve fact-checking Beauchamp's first story for TNR.

Having engaged in it myself, I understand Miniter's interest in the potential failures at TNR, particularly in whether or not Reeve was particularly involved. Reeve is not a sympathetic figure, in terms of abruptly replacing Priscilla as Beauchamp's bride-to-be, but it's too much to lend total credence to Priscilla's report that Reeve knew of Beauchamp's former engagement arrangement without additional reporting. In other words, I doubt that Priscilla heard directly from Elspeth Beauchamp. Most likely her information came from Scott Beauchamp, who doesn't currently have the greatest reputation in the world for telling the truth.

Miniter's tentative indictment of Reeve supposes that she was aware of Beauchamp's duplicity in leading on Priscilla. That is the cornerstone of his argument, in fact. I don't find that foundation strong enough to support the implication that stems from it. Not at this point, anyway.

What of Elspeth Reeve?

This is all opinion.
***

In an earlier post, I wrote that Elspeth Reeve/Elspeth Beauchamp's communications with Scott Beauchamp would be an interesting issue if the latter's stories were factually undermined.

For now, my sense on that issue is that it wouldn't be interesting except in terms of human interest.

From what I've seen of Reeve's writing--and I've surveyed a decent amount--she hews tight to proper journalistic standards with the possible exception of the story she wrote about the abortion protest in Washington (featuring personal acquaintances as sources?). I'd find it hard to believe that she had anything to do with Beauchamp's handling of fact, working for now on the assumption that Beauchamp's retraction is what it seems to be.

My best guess is that Beauchamp began to smell glory and tried to impress TNR (and Mrs. Beauchamp). I doubt TNR gave Elspeth Beauchamp any role in fact-checking hubby's stories. That would be beyond reckless.

Expect the fault to fall on Beauchamp for embellishing his stories with exaggeration and/or lies, and on the editorial staff at TNR for not having sufficient olfactory powers to flunk Beauchamp themselves on the sniff test.

A Scott Beauchamp time line

Scott Thomas Beauchamp, writing as "Scott Thomas," had three stories published in the New Republic. The last of the three, "Shock Troops," caused a stir of criticism from people who found the accounts unbelievable (for a variety of reasons).

As the criticism mounted TNR editor Franklin Foer defended the reliability of the author, then only known to the public as "Scott Thomas," and pledged to verify the accounts.

Staffers at TNR have vacations coming up, so it appears that the verification of fact will not occur imminently.

Aside from the issue of veracity, TNR has made itself vulnerable to criticism regarding its choice of Beauchamp as its war correspondent. With the idea of assisting that debate, I offer the following time line (OK, it's not a "line" as such but it sets forth a rough chronology).

• Scott Beauchamp and Elspeth Reeve associated at the Missouri School of Journalism (~2005)
  
• Beauchamp in Europe by June of 2006--probably already in the armed services
• Beauchamp develops relationship with girl in Germany
• Beauchamp deployed to Kuwait by September 2006, engaged to girl in Germany
• "War Bonds" published in TNR 1/29/07
  
• Beauchamp serves in Iraq from Sept. 2006 through April 2007, at which time he receives 2 weeks R&R.
• Marries Elspeth Reeve rather than the aforementioned fiancee, returns to duty somewhat after he was supposed to arrive.
• "Dead of Night" published 6/7/07
• "Shock Troops" published 7/13/07
• Criticism of "Shock Troops" begins and builds
• Beauchamp publicly identifies himself through TNR
  
• Army takes away his laptop and telephone
  
• Foer confirms for Howard Kurtz that Beauchamp is married to a TNR staffer (7/27/07)
  

A great many details did not warrant mention, since they do not obviously relate to Beauchamp's relationship to TNR.

One detail should stand out, however. A number of commentators have suggested that Beauchamp was chosen because of his marriage to Reeve, or at least on the basis of his romantic relationship to Reeve. Most likely, Beauchamp knew that Reeve was employed at TNR. A number of the students in the Missouri School of Journalism appear to have maintained ties. It doesn't really matter whether Beauchamp contacted TNR because of Reeve or vice-versa. It appears that the initial contact was probably prompted by platonic familiarity rather than because of a romantic relationship.

On the other hand, the romantic relationship seems to have rapidly flowered with the onset of the professional association in spite of the problem of distance. Perhaps one day somebody will tell that story.

Within six months of deployment, Beauchamp is published as "Scott Thomas," and a scant four months later, by all appearances, he had wed Ms. Reeve (about 8 months after Beauchamp announced his intent to marry the girl in Germany).

Does this have any relevance to TNRs professional relationship with Beauchamp? That's hard to say, at this point. It seems that Beauchamp and Reeve must have communicated with one another extensively, or else it seems difficult to explain how Beauchamp could dump the girl in Germany for Reeve.

Could Reeve have coached Beauchamp regarding his stories, helping them conform to the TNR template in terms of style if not in terms of tone and theme? That question turns rapidly interesting if Beauchamp's account is factually undermined. For my part, I don't think the public (including me) has enough information yet to render sound judgment.

Correction: mea culpa on MySpace identity confusion

In an earlier post I drew a connection between Elspeth Reeve and the MySpace account of "a real spicy braudra."

Further investigation appears to show that I was very probably wrong in making that connection, having allowed myself to be misled by a couple of unlikely coincidences.

I'd also probably be out the $20 that I was willing to bet on a line of prose.


Corrections will be made where appropriate.

Update on the Elspeth Reeve MySpace link Updated

In an earlier post, I suggested that I had probably identified Elspeth Reeve's MySpace account, based on the timing and content of some comments posted to Scott Beauchamp's MySpace page near the time the two married.

I still think that "a real spicy braudra" is probably an account used by Elspeth Reeve, but it is apparent that the "mouse" account was intended as her primary MySpace identity.

Jun 11 2007 7:48P

Happy Birthday Elle! Sorry about the lateness, but I hope you have a good one!

Without going into the details, I think that the photo of "a real spicy audra" is a body-painting by an artist named Audra using Elspeth's back as her canvas (or maybe her midriff if she lacks a navel). The nickname ends up being a pun on the artist's name.
This hypothesis is by no means certain. Though Audra is rare as names go, there is an Audra involved in the arts in NYC (in addition to the artist already mentioned, that is), and she also has ties to the city of Atlanta.

clipped from profile.myspace.com "Squirrels are how God punishes us." Female 25 years old Washington DC United States Last Login: 7/28/2007 View My: Pics | Videos

Nobody should consider harassing her via either of these accounts, by the way. There's no evidence that she did anything wrong.

Update: The "a real spicy braudra" MySpace account probably doesn't have anything to do with Elspeth Reeve, despite the coincidences that led me to conclude otherwise.

Filling in some of the history on Scott Thomas Beauchamp

Over the past year Scott Thomas Beauchamp appears to have gone AWOL, as well as dumping a girl to whom he was engaged in favor of the union with Elspeth Reeve of the New Republic.

A member of the jilted girl's family offered an account of Beauchamp that had him shipping out for Iraq in September of 2006, after entering into an engagement relationship with "Priscilla" (as she is called on Beauchamp's MySpace page).

In April, according to this source, Beauchamp was granted two weeks of R&R. He used the time to travel to Germany, without informing his fiancee in spite of their proximity. Beauchamp apparently married Elspeth Reeve during this span of time, and evidently his failure to report for duty on time resulted in his demotion from SP4 to PV2.

Yo Champ, let me know where your at, moon said you should have been back already. well just let me know. later
("majmaj", at the Beauchamp Myspace page, May 16 2007 8:51 a.m.)

***
Know as little as I do about military rank?

E1. . . PV1 PVT. . . . . . Private
E2. . . PV2 PVT. . . . . . Private
E3. . . PFC . . . . . . . . Private First Class
E4. . . CPL SP4. . . . . . Corporal / Specialist Four
E5. . . SGT SP5. . . . . . Sergeant / Specialist Five
(NoQuarter.org)

Fleshing out the Beauchamp-Reeve marriage hypothesis

My original post on the Beauchamp-Reeve marriage hypothesis was a bit lacking in detail in support of certain details. That was because I was posting late at night and mainly just wanted to publish the apparent connection between "a real spicy braudra" and Elspeth Reeve--a connection that hadn't been made in the reporting up through that time, from what I can tell. [Update: it turns out that a connection isn't likely after all]

Ace of Spades is still uncertain about the time-line, but he can be more confident in his reconstruction than he thought.
I'm not going to document each of these points, since the marriage has already been confirmed.

• Ace noted the existence of a registry, anticipating an October wedding
• Ace noted the connection between the two at a Missouri college
• Beachamp's blogging contains a report of his marriage (apparently in Germany)
• "a real spicy braudra" posts to Beauchamp's blog, expressing love and longing

Other comments indicate anger at Beauchamp, referring to him as an "asshole," for instance.
I considered that the complaints might have indicated anger at the early wedding; one post talked about how lousy of Beauchamp it was to do something during graduation week [actually before finals--BW].

All of the anger, however, seems to stem from one group of ladies.

And all of them seem to be in Germany.

So, I'm not sure what to make of it, but one possibility is that Beauchamp romanced "Priscilla" while he was away from Elspeth. Then he married Elspeth, with the result that Priscilla's family got torqued. Yeah, just guessing.

Mrs. Scott Beauchamp? Update: Hypothesis confirmed (Updated x3)

Various blogs have made the connection between Scott Thomas Beauchamp and Elspeth Reeve--the latter an employee of The New Republic.

Reeve is from Atlanta.

Reeve, BJ '05, earned degrees in magazine journalism and political science. From Atlanta, Ga., she received a certificate of merit for her article, "Behind the Bars." The article, which was printed in Vox, was part of a four-article series and examined the criminal justice system in the United States. Vox is an award-winning weekly city magazine that appears in the Missourian.

Upon graduation, Reeve interned at Time magazine and now works for the Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C.

(Missouri School of Journalism)

And that helped put some context to some of Beauchamp's Myspace comments:

clipped from profile.myspace.com a real spicy braudra Apr 3 2007 11:04A what i wouldn't give for a long walk/talk around chimney springs. i love you i miss you

Where's Chimney Springs?

Southwest of Atlanta.

Chimney Springs was the fastest growing community in Atlanta from 1976 through the early 1980's.
(Chimney Springs Homeowners Association)

It seems that Beauchamp married Reeve earlier than they had planned (in Germany?). Braudra dropped a number of additional clues, by the way, indicating intimacy with Beauchamp.

Mar 23 2007 2:51P

too much space between.

how is life unfolding?

i miss you and i want to know everything.

TNR offices compared to Germany?

Mar 13 2007 10:57A

i miss you.

There are a few interesting comments from ARSB in various MySpace locations.

Anyhoo, the connection between Reeve and Beauchamp does appear to explain TNR's choice of Scott Thomas as their intrepid war correspondent.
Now let's see if his stories check out or not.

Update: Oh, and I'd bet $20 that the quotation used by "a real spicy braudra"

"stuffing her shadow in her mouth as she goes"

was written by Scott Beauchamp.

Update: Confirmation, via Howard Kurtz (hat tip to Dean Barnett posting at HughHewitt.townhall.com):

The magazine's editor, Franklin Foer, disclosed in an interview that Beauchamp is married to a New Republic staffer, and that is "part of the reason why we found him to be a credible writer." Foer also said Beauchamp "has put himself in significant jeopardy" and "lost his lifeline to the rest of the world" because military officials have taken away his laptop, cellphone and e-mail privileges.

(the Washington Post)

Update II, Correction: Whether because of a faulty map or a temporary inability to properly read a map, Chimney Springs is northwestern suburb of Atlanta rather than to the city's southwest as I had earlier reported.

Update III: Correction: Though the reasoning that led to the conclusion that "a real spicy braudra" was Elspeth Reeve was reasonable, it seems safe to conclude that it was wrong. That MySpace identity appears to belong to a different friend of Scott Beauchamp who, like E. Reeve, was from Atlanta and living in the Northeastern United States.