Shame on Jamieson?

One of Steve Smith's remarks at last night's SPJ session hit close to home. Recounting some of the criticism of the Spokesman-Review's Jim West coverage, Smith called out the P-I's columnist Robert Jamieson.

As Jamieson's editor, I winced.

I remember the column Smith had in mind. It ran just after the Spokesman's initial report, and it lumped the paper's coverage with a bunch of reporting embarrassments, from the Sacramento Bee columnist who resigned after apparently fabricating sources to Jayson Blair, the disgraced New York Times reporter who did the same.

Smith said it was Robert's column that was disgraceful. "Shame on Robert Jamieson," he said.

Smith's point all night was that his paper's coverage was thoughtful, deliberative and ethical. He said the decision to use an undercover proxy -- entrapment, in Jameison's view -- was a subjective one and open to debate, but it wasn't reckless. To lump the Spokesman in with Newsweek's discredited Quran-flushing story and the rest, he said, was just plain wrong and inexcusable.

I related all this to Robert today, and I won't be surprised if he revisits the subject.