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Joe McGinniss obituary Joe McGinniss obituary
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Is a journalist "a kind of confidence man, preying on people's vanity, ignorance or loneliness, gaining their trust and betraying them without remorse?" That was the question asked by Janet Malcolm in her book The Journalist and the Murderer (1990). The journalist in question was Joe McGinniss, who has died aged 71 after suffering from prostate cancer.Is a journalist "a kind of confidence man, preying on people's vanity, ignorance or loneliness, gaining their trust and betraying them without remorse?" That was the question asked by Janet Malcolm in her book The Journalist and the Murderer (1990). The journalist in question was Joe McGinniss, who has died aged 71 after suffering from prostate cancer.
McGinniss had been one of the shining lights of the "new journalism" of the 1960s, but Malcolm was echoing the words of the judge in a civil case brought against him by Jeffrey MacDonald, the convicted murderer who had been the subject of McGinniss's bestselling 1983 book, Fatal Vision. The judge likened McGinniss to a "thief in the night" and a "con man". McGinniss's crime was to embed himself with McDonald's defence team, professing belief in his innocence, then write a book explaining how MacDonald was guilty.McGinniss had been one of the shining lights of the "new journalism" of the 1960s, but Malcolm was echoing the words of the judge in a civil case brought against him by Jeffrey MacDonald, the convicted murderer who had been the subject of McGinniss's bestselling 1983 book, Fatal Vision. The judge likened McGinniss to a "thief in the night" and a "con man". McGinniss's crime was to embed himself with McDonald's defence team, professing belief in his innocence, then write a book explaining how MacDonald was guilty.
McGinniss's career had got under way through a similar confidence game and his work returned constantly to the differences between presentation and reality of those in public life. In 1968, while on a train to New York to interview the sportscaster Howard Cosell, McGinniss met an advertising executive who had landed the account for presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey, and boasted that "in six weeks we'll have him looking better than Abraham Lincoln". Intrigued, McGinniss sought access to the Humphrey campaign.McGinniss's career had got under way through a similar confidence game and his work returned constantly to the differences between presentation and reality of those in public life. In 1968, while on a train to New York to interview the sportscaster Howard Cosell, McGinniss met an advertising executive who had landed the account for presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey, and boasted that "in six weeks we'll have him looking better than Abraham Lincoln". Intrigued, McGinniss sought access to the Humphrey campaign.
After being refused, he was surprised when campaign aide Leonard Garment allowed him full access to Richard Nixon's advisers. The resulting book, The Selling of the President 1968, published the following year, marked a step-change in campaign journalism, away from the reassuring "behind the scenes" work of Theodore White's Making of the President series. Media was changing politics, as was evident from Nixon's failure in the televised debates with John Kennedy of 1960. The brilliance orchestrated eight years later by the adman Harry Treleaven and the TV producer Roger Ailes turned Tricky Dick, the man from whom America would not buy a used car, into Nixon the likeable everyman-turned-statesman.After being refused, he was surprised when campaign aide Leonard Garment allowed him full access to Richard Nixon's advisers. The resulting book, The Selling of the President 1968, published the following year, marked a step-change in campaign journalism, away from the reassuring "behind the scenes" work of Theodore White's Making of the President series. Media was changing politics, as was evident from Nixon's failure in the televised debates with John Kennedy of 1960. The brilliance orchestrated eight years later by the adman Harry Treleaven and the TV producer Roger Ailes turned Tricky Dick, the man from whom America would not buy a used car, into Nixon the likeable everyman-turned-statesman.
McGinniss had fly-on-the-wall access and like a documentary film-maker he allowed the characters to speak for themselves, revealing the cynicism behind the sales approach. The result was the young, media-friendly McGinniss's first bestseller, and he became a staple of television talk shows.McGinniss had fly-on-the-wall access and like a documentary film-maker he allowed the characters to speak for themselves, revealing the cynicism behind the sales approach. The result was the young, media-friendly McGinniss's first bestseller, and he became a staple of television talk shows.
He had enjoyed a rapid rise to journalistic heights. Born in New York City, the son of Mary, a secretary for the CBS television network, and her travel agent husband, Joseph, he graduated in 1964 from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. After working briefly as a reporter on the Worcester Telegram, he moved to the Philadelphia Bulletin as a sportswriter. Within a year, he was a general columnist for the Inquirer, Philadelphia's top daily. He was still only 26.He had enjoyed a rapid rise to journalistic heights. Born in New York City, the son of Mary, a secretary for the CBS television network, and her travel agent husband, Joseph, he graduated in 1964 from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. After working briefly as a reporter on the Worcester Telegram, he moved to the Philadelphia Bulletin as a sportswriter. Within a year, he was a general columnist for the Inquirer, Philadelphia's top daily. He was still only 26.
The Selling of the President made his name as a journalist, but his next book was a novel, Dream Team (1972), about a sportswriter whose life falls apart in the face of addictions to horse racing, drinking and womanising. Heroes (1976) was a revealing memoir, detailing the collapse of his first marriage, alongside his own hero-worship of figures such as the novelist William Styron and Ted Kennedy. Neither book was successful, and his next, Going to Extremes (1980), saw him escaping to Alaska. Though well-reviewed, it did not sell.The Selling of the President made his name as a journalist, but his next book was a novel, Dream Team (1972), about a sportswriter whose life falls apart in the face of addictions to horse racing, drinking and womanising. Heroes (1976) was a revealing memoir, detailing the collapse of his first marriage, alongside his own hero-worship of figures such as the novelist William Styron and Ted Kennedy. Neither book was successful, and his next, Going to Extremes (1980), saw him escaping to Alaska. Though well-reviewed, it did not sell.
By then McGinniss was a columnist with the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, where he was approached by MacDonald, a Green Beret doctor whose pregnant wife and two daughters were found dead in their house at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 1970. MacDonald claimed they were the victims of a home invasion by hippies, and had injuries of his own to show. The army brought no charges against him, but in 1974 his father-in-law persuaded the courts to re-open the case, and MacDonald went to trial in 1979. He agreed with McGinniss to co-operate on a book through which the writer would tell his side of the story. MacDonald was found guilty, and after a series of appeals, ending in the US supreme court, failed, sent to prison for life in 1982. Fatal Vision appeared the following year, and, in 1984, MacDonald sued McGinniss for breach of contract.By then McGinniss was a columnist with the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, where he was approached by MacDonald, a Green Beret doctor whose pregnant wife and two daughters were found dead in their house at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 1970. MacDonald claimed they were the victims of a home invasion by hippies, and had injuries of his own to show. The army brought no charges against him, but in 1974 his father-in-law persuaded the courts to re-open the case, and MacDonald went to trial in 1979. He agreed with McGinniss to co-operate on a book through which the writer would tell his side of the story. MacDonald was found guilty, and after a series of appeals, ending in the US supreme court, failed, sent to prison for life in 1982. Fatal Vision appeared the following year, and, in 1984, MacDonald sued McGinniss for breach of contract.
At the trial in 1987, McGinniss was hurt by his own unsubstantiated theory that MacDonald committed the murders in a psychotic state brought on by abuse of diet pills. The jury failed to reach a verdict and McGinniss's publisher settled out of court. Malcolm, covering the case for the New Yorker, called McGinniss's deception "morally indefensible". McGinniss argued that it was MacDonald who had attempted to manipulate the truth by engaging with him "through cons and lies".At the trial in 1987, McGinniss was hurt by his own unsubstantiated theory that MacDonald committed the murders in a psychotic state brought on by abuse of diet pills. The jury failed to reach a verdict and McGinniss's publisher settled out of court. Malcolm, covering the case for the New Yorker, called McGinniss's deception "morally indefensible". McGinniss argued that it was MacDonald who had attempted to manipulate the truth by engaging with him "through cons and lies".
McGinniss returned to true crime with his next two books, Blind Faith (1989) and Cruel Doubt (1991), both of which, like Fatal Vision, were adapted into successful TV mini-series, but in neither did he have the intimate access that he had enjoyed with MacDonald. The Last Brother: The Rise and Fall of Teddy Kennedy (1993) was a warts-and-all biography widely lambasted for its use of invented dialogue. In 1995 he handed back a $1m advance he had received to produce a book on the OJ Simpson trial, calling it a "farce from start to finish ... a mockery of justice".McGinniss returned to true crime with his next two books, Blind Faith (1989) and Cruel Doubt (1991), both of which, like Fatal Vision, were adapted into successful TV mini-series, but in neither did he have the intimate access that he had enjoyed with MacDonald. The Last Brother: The Rise and Fall of Teddy Kennedy (1993) was a warts-and-all biography widely lambasted for its use of invented dialogue. In 1995 he handed back a $1m advance he had received to produce a book on the OJ Simpson trial, calling it a "farce from start to finish ... a mockery of justice".
McGinniss returned to his sportswriting roots with two first-rate books. The Miracle of Castel di Sangro (1999) was about a small-town Italian football team from Abruzzo making their debut in the Serie B league, while Big Horse (2004) dealt with PG Johnson, a New York trainer for more than 60 years before he finally ffound his "big horse", Volponi, winner of the 2002 Breeders' Cup in Chicago.McGinniss returned to his sportswriting roots with two first-rate books. The Miracle of Castel di Sangro (1999) was about a small-town Italian football team from Abruzzo making their debut in the Serie B league, while Big Horse (2004) dealt with PG Johnson, a New York trainer for more than 60 years before he finally ffound his "big horse", Volponi, winner of the 2002 Breeders' Cup in Chicago.
After one more venture into murder with Never Enough (2005), McGinniss went back to politics and Alaska, moving next door to Sarah Palin in Wasilla while researching The Rogue (2011). He said, rather implausibly, "once she understands that I'm not here to hassle her, or to invade her family's privacy in any way, maybe we can become, if not friends, then at least reasonably cordial summer neighbours".After one more venture into murder with Never Enough (2005), McGinniss went back to politics and Alaska, moving next door to Sarah Palin in Wasilla while researching The Rogue (2011). He said, rather implausibly, "once she understands that I'm not here to hassle her, or to invade her family's privacy in any way, maybe we can become, if not friends, then at least reasonably cordial summer neighbours".
The book's most publicised revelations, about drug use or premarital affairs, were the stuff of local gossip. With Ailes now the force behind Fox News, Palin's biggest supporters, it was as if McGinniss had come full circle since 1968, with politics now part of the entertainment industry. McGinniss wrote that Palin's candidacy was "unblushingly underwritten by a mainstream media willing to gamble the nation's future in exchange for the cheap thrill of watching a clown in high heels on a flying trapeze".The book's most publicised revelations, about drug use or premarital affairs, were the stuff of local gossip. With Ailes now the force behind Fox News, Palin's biggest supporters, it was as if McGinniss had come full circle since 1968, with politics now part of the entertainment industry. McGinniss wrote that Palin's candidacy was "unblushingly underwritten by a mainstream media willing to gamble the nation's future in exchange for the cheap thrill of watching a clown in high heels on a flying trapeze".
In December 2012, McGinniss published Final Vision, a short Kindle ebook aimed as a riposte to his critics, including the documentary maker Errol Morris, whose September 2012 book, A Wilderness of Error, had been critical of both McGinniss and Malcolm. Having helped create a market for celebrity criminals' stories, McGinniss was unable to escape its shadow. In December 2012, McGinniss published Final Vision, a short Kindle ebook aimed as a riposte to his critics, including the documentary maker Errol Morris, whose September 2012 book A Wilderness of Error had been critical of both McGinniss and Malcolm. Having helped create a market for celebrity criminals' stories, McGinniss was unable to escape its shadow.
He is survived by his second wife, Nancy Doherty, and their two sons, and by two daughters and a son, the novelist Joe Jr, from his first marriage, to Chris Cooke, which ended in divorce.He is survived by his second wife, Nancy Doherty, and their two sons, and by two daughters and a son, the novelist Joe Jr, from his first marriage, to Chris Cooke, which ended in divorce.
• Joseph McGinniss, journalist, born 9 December 1942; died 10 March 2014• Joseph McGinniss, journalist, born 9 December 1942; died 10 March 2014