NJ Society of Professional Journalists set to elevate Israeli propaganda machine

Here's why it's a bad decision.

The NJ Society of Professional Journalism (NJSPJ) has scheduled a webinar regarding avoiding bias in Middle East reporting for Sunday, September 22 at 3pm. Given the current mainstream narratives surrounding the illegal occupation of Palestine and the genocide of the Palestinian people, this topic is not unwelcome. The decision of a state chapter of a national organization whose purpose includes “improving and protecting journalism” to host a webinar on bias in Middle East reporting is, at first glance, exciting.

Unfortunately, review of the people involved with this event, and its presenters, has revealed a disturbing contradiction to its stated purpose. A webinar regarding ways “to avoid” bias in media should include input from Journalists or outlets which do not perpetuate bias with their reporting. Therefore, the decision to elevate a Israeli propaganda outlet for this event is completely counterproductive to the stated objective.

Describing HonestReporting.com as an Israeli propaganda outlet is not for shock value. The characterization is based, in part, on their stated purpose, which is to expose and respond to inaccuracies or bias “that appear in the media’s coverage of Israel.” More importantly, the characterization is based on a website review which found an overwhelming number of posted articles defending the actions of Israel’s military and government. This includes the most recent headline, “Media Forget the Exploding Devices Were in the Pockets of Hezbollah Terrorists.”

The guest speaker for the webinar is Gil Hoffman, the Israeli-based Executive Director and Executive Editor of HonestReporting.com and former chief political correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. Hoffman’s latest op-ed in JP presents his take on reporters in Gaza, noting which are credible and objective in their reporting. Hoffman seems to identify reporters who do not support Israel as either puppets of, or paid by, Hamas, and masterfully dehumanizes Palestinian voices by dismissing their first hand accounts of life within Gaza.

That Hoffman plays a major role within HonestReporting.com, given the stated purpose, is not surprising. However, NJSPJ as a sanctioning body for journalists in the state of New Jersey, choosing this outlet and speaker to headline this webinar is obtuse at best, and journalistic malfeasance at worst. It indicates an abject failure of NJSPJ and its leadership to properly investigate this outlet and its associations.

One such association being with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has been working diligently for over 60 years to influence U.S. politics. AIPAC, which has already invested over $100 Million in 2024 elections, supports Republicans and Democrats alike to ensure their foothold within the US Congress. Why is this relevant? The recently appointed Global CEO of HonestReporting.com is Jacki Alexander who previously spent 15 years with AIPAC, as the Southern States Regional Director of Operations.

This connection between HonestReporting.com and AIPAC is stated clearly on their website and it is unknown if NJSPJ is aware but simply disregarded the information. That said, any association between a media outlet and AIPAC should raise immediate concerns. Further, a connection at the executive level should raise questions regarding the actual possibility of unbiased or uncompromised coverage of the “Middle East.”

Kenneth Burns, NJSPJ President, claimed he did a cursory review of HonestReporting.com which resulted in the determination it was “pretty one-sided,” but somehow did not disqualify it as a resource for this webinar. It is a questionable decision and likely influenced by the person who proposed the webinar, NJSPJ secretary, Steve Lubetkin. It is unknown if NJSPJ or Burns are aware of Lubetkin’s direct link to organizations and physical properties within Israel. As such, Lubetkin, could directly benefit from the continued illegal occupation of Palestine and his motivations should be scrutinized.

Steve Lubetkin’s recent letter regarding his family’s Israeli based museum

Finally, the code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists clearly outlines four guiding principles.

These principles should be demanded of any media outlet or journalist elevated by the organization or any of its chapters. Therefore, the financial murkiness of HonestReporting.com is another factor which calls the decision to support this webinar further into question. According to ProPublica, HonestReporting.com held almost $2 Million in net assets for 2023. The 990 filing for that year also shows the outlet has held over $10 Million total over the past five years.

The filing further shows a complete lack of transparency with regard to the source of funding for HonestReporting.com. This should present a major issue, as understanding the source of financial support for a media outlet is a necessity for earning trust in its reporting.

Despite the numerous concerns outlined here, and the resignation of a new board member, it appears the NJSPJ is determined to move forward with this webinar and has gained the support of the national organization. It is critical to the integrity of New Jersey journalism that propaganda outlets are not presented as experts or sources for the education of its journalists.

Those who stand in opposition to this webinar are seeking support from the general public. Anyone willing to share written concerns with NJSPJ’s decision on this matter should express them directly to Mr. Burns via email at prez@njspj.org; or the national SPJ President, Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins at ashanti.blaize@gmail.com.