The Fidelman Incident
From James Donahue’s Diary
Irving Fidelman owned and operated his resort complex just north of South Haven. The facility offered rooms and a large dining and meeting area, plus outstanding chefs so the resort attracted many large state conventions and important political gatherings.
Some of these gatherings involved important political and civic organizations and featured well known speakers. It was news that these people were even in our town even if they had nothing of news value to say. Consequently, I was a frequent visitor to the resort.
Among the gatherings at Fidelman’s were the annual conventions of the United Auto Workers, the Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, regional county gatherings and various other events that brought state and national legislators and other power figures to South Haven.
Fidelman always liked the publicity his business got when there was press coverage. I always made sure that my stories told everyone where the gatherings were held so the resort got its plug. Fidelman made sure I was a guest at the banquet table and I remember that the food produced in his kitchen was always excellent.
Toward the end of my time at South Haven a problem developed, however. Irving had a teen-age son who was frequently in trouble with the police. I ignored the petty stuff but the night the Fidelman boy got arrested on a felony drug charge I had to write the story. I remember Irving called me and asked that I keep that story out of the newspaper. It was like a mafia boss calling on me to deliver a favor in return for all the fine meals I had enjoyed at his resort. For me it was a real dilemma. I understood then why reporters should never accept gratuities from people on their beat.
It was impossible for me to sit on the Fidelman story. And I was never welcomed at Fidelman’s Resort again. From that day on, I always made sure I had an expense account and could pay my way to every event I covered where food was served, or an admission charge was required. That’s the way it should have been in the first place.
From James Donahue’s Diary
Irving Fidelman owned and operated his resort complex just north of South Haven. The facility offered rooms and a large dining and meeting area, plus outstanding chefs so the resort attracted many large state conventions and important political gatherings.
Some of these gatherings involved important political and civic organizations and featured well known speakers. It was news that these people were even in our town even if they had nothing of news value to say. Consequently, I was a frequent visitor to the resort.
Among the gatherings at Fidelman’s were the annual conventions of the United Auto Workers, the Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, regional county gatherings and various other events that brought state and national legislators and other power figures to South Haven.
Fidelman always liked the publicity his business got when there was press coverage. I always made sure that my stories told everyone where the gatherings were held so the resort got its plug. Fidelman made sure I was a guest at the banquet table and I remember that the food produced in his kitchen was always excellent.
Toward the end of my time at South Haven a problem developed, however. Irving had a teen-age son who was frequently in trouble with the police. I ignored the petty stuff but the night the Fidelman boy got arrested on a felony drug charge I had to write the story. I remember Irving called me and asked that I keep that story out of the newspaper. It was like a mafia boss calling on me to deliver a favor in return for all the fine meals I had enjoyed at his resort. For me it was a real dilemma. I understood then why reporters should never accept gratuities from people on their beat.
It was impossible for me to sit on the Fidelman story. And I was never welcomed at Fidelman’s Resort again. From that day on, I always made sure I had an expense account and could pay my way to every event I covered where food was served, or an admission charge was required. That’s the way it should have been in the first place.