Phil Balboni Interview: Remembering Jim Foley's Courage and Dedication to Reporting

Phil Balboni remembers Jim's tenure as a freelance Photojournalist for Global Post. He reflects on the joint endeavors to secure Jim's release first from captivity in Libya, where he was held by Gaddafi loyalist forces, and again in Syria, where he was captured by ISIS.
Philip Scribner Balboni was born on February 15, 1943 in Norwood Massachusetts. He received his B.A. magna cum laude from Boston College in English literature, with minors in philosophy and French literature. He served in the United States Army for 2 years, including a tour in Vietnam. He went on to become a Ford Foundation Fellow at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. In 1967 he started his journalism journey as a reporter for The Richmond Times-Dispatch, followed by a role as a correspondent and editor at United Press International. In 1992 Balboni founded and was president of NECN (New England Cable News), the nation's largest regional news network. NECN achieved recognition for its excellence in local and regional news. In 2008, he founded GlobalPost, a pioneering digital news site focused on international reporting. Under his leadership, GlobalPost received numerous accolades, including the George Foster Peabody Award, Edward R. Murrow Awards for international video reporting, Polk and Overseas Press Club Awards for coverage of the Syrian and Libyan civil wars, the Edwin Hood Diplomacy Award from the National Press Club, and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. He successfully sold GlobalPost to the WGBH Educational Foundation in 2015. Balboni has earned numerous prestigious awards in American journalism, including multiple Peabody, duPont-Columbia, Edward R. Murrow, and Emmy awards. He has also received two awards for lifetime service to the First Amendment from the Radio Television Digital News Association and the New England First Amendment Coalition. Additionally, has been recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Yankee Quill Award from the New England Society of Newspaper Editors. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2015.
From the 2016 Kunhardt Films Documentary “Jim: The James Foley Story”, offers an in-depth look at the life and work of American journalist James Foley, who was killed by ISIS terrorists in 2014. Friends and family sit down to discuss Foley's life and his time in captivity.
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Chapter Markers
00:00 - Opening
00:09 - Introduction and vision for GlobalPost
05:26 - Meeting Jim
08:46 - Jim’s work at the GlobalPost
19:04 - Jim’s capture in Libya
34:06 - First seeing Jim after his release from Libya
45:16 - Phil learning of Jim being captured again
54:33 - Announcing that Jim was a captive in Syria
01:00:24 - Jim’s proof of life
01:08:49 - First email from the terrorists
01:22:20 - Learning of Jim’s death
01:42:54 - The motivation behind Jim’s work
Phil Balboni, President of Global Post
Interviewed By: Chris Chuang
Interview Date: February 13, 2015
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