Jonathan Foreman (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Foreman is an Anglo-American journalist and film critic.
He is the son of Academy-Award winning screenwriter and film producer Carl Foreman
(1914–1984), who moved to England in order to work after being blacklisted by Hollywood movie studio bosses during the hysteria of the McCarthy era. He is the elder brother of the best-selling biographer Amanda Foreman
.
Foreman was born in London, and educated at St Paul's School before reading Modern History at Cambridge University. After working as an editorial assistant for the International Herald Tribune
, Foreman trained as a lawyer at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
. He became a member of the New York Bar in 1991 and worked for the Manhattan firm, Shearman and Sterling. After several years at the bar, he described his decision to leave the law in a widely cited critique of New York company culture, for the magazine City Journal.
Foreman then traveled widely in Asia
, winning the South Asian Journalists Association
first prize for reporting in 1997 for the City Journal piece, "Bombay on the Hudson". He won another prize from the same group in 2009 for his article in the National Review
, "The Real Bhutto: Against the Mythmaking". On his return to New York, Foreman wrote another article for City Journal that was cited by then New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
as the inspiration for the "quality of life" law enforcement efforts enacted in his second term in office.
In April 1998 Foreman joined the New York Post
and soon became their film critic. He served as Chairman of the New York Critics Circle
, stepping down in 2004. On the outbreak of the Iraq war
Foreman was sent by the New York Post to report from Iraq. Embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division in Kuwait
at the beginning of March, he arrived in Baghdad
a day after the city's fall, and reported from there until the beginning of June. He had a global scoop with his report of the discovery of $320 million in cash in a West Baghdad garden shed, and a second one with his report that some of this money was subsequently stolen by G.I.'s. While embedded with the army, Foreman wrote an article for the Weekly Standard in which he wrote that most Western press coverage of the conditions in Baghdad portrayed conditions as much worse than they really were. On the strength of his Iraq coverage, the Post subsequently sent him to cover the California recall election of October 2003.
Jonathan Foreman returned to London in 2004. After a couple of years with The Daily Mail, Foreman became one of the founders of the British magazine Standpoint
, launched in May 2008. The first major current affairs magazine to be launched since the dawn of the Blair era, Standpoint is a broadly center-right magazine intended to "celebrate Western civilization". Foreman left the staff of the magazine a few months after its launch but continues to write for it.
Jonathan Foreman's work has appeared in publications all over the world, including, amongst others, The New Yorker, The National Review, The London Daily Telegraph, The Weekly Standard, City Journal, the National Law Journal, Los Angeles and Spy. He is the author of The Pocket Book of Patriotism.
He is the son of Academy-Award winning screenwriter and film producer Carl Foreman
Carl Foreman
Carl Foreman, CBE was an American screenwriter and film producer who wrote the notable film High Noon. He was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s.-Biography:...
(1914–1984), who moved to England in order to work after being blacklisted by Hollywood movie studio bosses during the hysteria of the McCarthy era. He is the elder brother of the best-selling biographer Amanda Foreman
Amanda Foreman (biographer)
Amanda Lucy Foreman is a British/American biographer and historian.-Family:Her father was the renowned screenwriter and film producer Carl Foreman who had to move to England in order to work after being blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios during the McCarthyism of the 1950s...
.
Foreman was born in London, and educated at St Paul's School before reading Modern History at Cambridge University. After working as an editorial assistant for the International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
, Foreman trained as a lawyer at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
. He became a member of the New York Bar in 1991 and worked for the Manhattan firm, Shearman and Sterling. After several years at the bar, he described his decision to leave the law in a widely cited critique of New York company culture, for the magazine City Journal.
Foreman then traveled widely in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, winning the South Asian Journalists Association
South Asian Journalists Association
The South Asian Journalists Association was founded in 1994 in New York City. South Asia refers to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal. The current president is Jigar Mehta, Previously a Video Journalist for the New York Times.SAJA celebrates its 15th anniversary July...
first prize for reporting in 1997 for the City Journal piece, "Bombay on the Hudson". He won another prize from the same group in 2009 for his article in the National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
, "The Real Bhutto: Against the Mythmaking". On his return to New York, Foreman wrote another article for City Journal that was cited by then New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
as the inspiration for the "quality of life" law enforcement efforts enacted in his second term in office.
In April 1998 Foreman joined the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
and soon became their film critic. He served as Chairman of the New York Critics Circle
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics' Circle Awards are given annually to honor excellence in cinema worldwide by an organization of film reviewers from New York City-based publications. It is considered one of the most important precursors to the Academy Awards....
, stepping down in 2004. On the outbreak of the Iraq war
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
Foreman was sent by the New York Post to report from Iraq. Embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
at the beginning of March, he arrived in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
a day after the city's fall, and reported from there until the beginning of June. He had a global scoop with his report of the discovery of $320 million in cash in a West Baghdad garden shed, and a second one with his report that some of this money was subsequently stolen by G.I.'s. While embedded with the army, Foreman wrote an article for the Weekly Standard in which he wrote that most Western press coverage of the conditions in Baghdad portrayed conditions as much worse than they really were. On the strength of his Iraq coverage, the Post subsequently sent him to cover the California recall election of October 2003.
Jonathan Foreman returned to London in 2004. After a couple of years with The Daily Mail, Foreman became one of the founders of the British magazine Standpoint
Standpoint (magazine)
Standpoint is a monthly British cultural and political magazine. Its premier issue was published at the end of May 2008 – the first launch of a major current affairs publication in the UK in more than a decade....
, launched in May 2008. The first major current affairs magazine to be launched since the dawn of the Blair era, Standpoint is a broadly center-right magazine intended to "celebrate Western civilization". Foreman left the staff of the magazine a few months after its launch but continues to write for it.
Jonathan Foreman's work has appeared in publications all over the world, including, amongst others, The New Yorker, The National Review, The London Daily Telegraph, The Weekly Standard, City Journal, the National Law Journal, Los Angeles and Spy. He is the author of The Pocket Book of Patriotism.