People magazine reporter takes to social media to defend female Ranger story
After her report last week questioning if recent women Ranger School graduates received special treatment was called into question by the U.S. Army, the People magazine reporter took to Twitter over the weekend to defend herself and her story.
Susan Keating was the first to report last week that Congressman Steve Russell, R-Okla., has asked the secretary of the Army for documentation pertaining to 1st Lt. Shaye Haver and Capt. Kristen Griest, the first two women to complete the course.
In a news release late Friday, Brig. Gen. Malcolm B. Frost, chief of Public Affairs for the U.S. Army, called into question the article and reporter. He called the allegations from multiple unnamed sources “pure fiction.”
@GirlSmarts1 To anyone who thinks the Army never lies: Here's a cup of Agent Orange to drink while reading abt Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman
— Susan Katz Keating (@SKatzKeating) September 26, 2015She was referring to Army scandals dating back to Vietnam.
Frost took to Twitter to retweet portions of the statement in the Army’s release. Frost was using the Twitter handle “Malcolm_Frost.”
@WorldofMelody @Malcolm_Frost @people You support a male general who discredits a female journo. And you accuse ME of being anti woman?
— Susan Katz Keating (@SKatzKeating) September 26, 2015Keating complained on her Tweets that she had been denied access to those involved in the story:
@GirlSmarts1 Let's see if Big Army gives me what I asked for. Unfettered access to instructors, cadre, medics, and students.
— Susan Katz Keating (@SKatzKeating) September 26, 2015When several Twitter users questioned why People magazine was covering this story, Keating shot back: “Why don’t you go through back issues of the mag to see what we cover. You do know what a library is, right?”
Sue Fulton, a member of the first West Point class in 1980 to include women graduates, was vocal on Twitter as well, questioning Keating’s reporting.
“Those of us who graduated West Point in the early years have faced questioning of our every accomplishment at every turn, from Gen. (William) Westmoreland calling us ‘freaks’ to anonymous soldiers online spreading rumors,” Fulton said. “For 40 years we have had to prove that we could do what others said we couldn’t.”
That is the reason the West Point women have risen to the defense of Griest, Haver and a third woman who is still in school, repeating the final phase in Florida.
“What you are seeing now is that West Point women ‘old grads’ are saying to younger women: ‘You keep soldiering.’ You just keep doing your job. It’s our turn now to step up and deal with the liars and the haters who will try to pull you down from behind,’” Fulton said.
This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 2:11 PM with the headline "People magazine reporter takes to social media to defend female Ranger story."