July 5, 2002

12:57 PM

The Best Investigative Reporter You've Never Heard Ofdied Wednesday from a rare blood disease he picked up reporting in the slums of Bombay. Robert Friedman was beaten by religious zealots after writing about Rabbi Meir Kahane, had a contract taken out on his life after writing about "The Most Dangerous Mobster in the World" and got a Valentine's card threatening rape and murder after writing about Russian organized crime links to the NHL. This December article about the Israel/Palestine situation, which may be the last piece he wrote, is detailed, balanced and yet pulls no punches -- a good example of his hard-hitting style. His death leaves a gaping hole in journalism.
posted by mediareport (4 comments total)

Zealots for Zion, his Israeli settlers book, is very, very, _very_ good.
It's a shame he had to go so young -- it's a great loss for his readers.
And we also need more reporters like Friedman.
posted by matteo at 3:07 PM on July 5, 2002

That first link is brilliant. I will have to save the rest. He can't have been that unknown, someone was paying for his stoli.
posted by Fat Buddha at 3:25 PM on July 5, 2002

Man, this sucks. He really was a credit to the trade. He may not have been well known to the public, but he was the reporter that other investigative reporters talked about in hushed reverent tones.
posted by dejah420 at 3:34 PM on July 5, 2002

A rare blood disease, eh.


Thats what they want you to think...
posted by delmoi at 6:44 PM on July 5, 2002