Yesterday, I received an e-mail from Ruth Eglash, the journalist from The Jerusalem Post who wrote the misleading article about Jordanian blogger reaction to the Red Sea Cinema Institute. Here is what she wrote:
Natasha,
Thank you for your feedback on the article that I wrote this week regarding the opening of a film school in Jordan that will include Israeli students. I believe the project is an amazing opportunity for the whole of the Middle East and was extremely disappointed that commentators on several blogs that I visited seemed to be against the idea. My article was designed to raise that issue and counter it with positive comments from Israeli filmaker Dan Katzir. I would love to write something more positive but personal attacks on me and my journalism will not help. I simply report what I see and hear.
If, as you say, there is a large group of people in Jordan who believe in this project and believe it can work together with Israeli students then that is another good story. You and your community should send me your comments and perhaps I will do a follow up article showing that there are some people in this region willing to try. I know you are angry that I did not referrence your blog, however I was trying to show where the original comments came from and I believe that it is clear from the text that not only Arab bloggers are against the idea, there were some Israelis making negative comments too.
Regards,
Ruth Eglash
This was my reply:
Dear Ms. Eglash,
Thank you for taking time to respond to my concerns. As I mentioned in my post, there are several flaws in your article. First and foremost, you quote people in your article that are not bloggers. They are anonymous online commenters. A blogger is someone who owns and operates an online journal and not someone who leaves a comment on a blog. As a result, your story, which purports to be about the negative reactions of "Arab bloggers," is just flat wrong.
Let us play devil’s advocate here and actually examine the Jordanian bloggers’ reaction. The blogs that brought up the Red Sea Cinema Institute initiative were all supportive. As a journalist, why did you fail to note that in your article? And, though there are some negative responses in the comments, it is not hard to find positive comments as well. Look at my blog, Amin or Laith’s. As a western-trained journalist myself, I can tell you that your article is simply unbalanced and it willfully misrepresents the facts. You chose negative comments and then misrepresented them as the opinions of bloggers. I wonder why you would so deliberately misrepresent a source. I also wonder about your journalistic research when you simply select the exact same comments I noted in my post. Is that as far as you dug? Did you notice that my post showed "both" sides of the issue, highlighting my support but noting the possibility of controversy.
You indicate in your note to me that you were "disappointed" by the comments. This suggests you understand these are "comments" and that makes me wonder. You note that you "counter it with positive comments from Israeli filmaker [sic] Dan Katzir," as if he is the only source of a positive response. I see this as a personal agenda: Those "terrible" Arabs are against this initiative while "reasonable" Israelis support it. That is the subtext of your story and clearly your intent, proven by the fact that you chose Katzir for a counter but skipped the blogs you used as your source … and they were all praising it. You made not one mention of this. In closing Ms. Eglash, you chose to dredge up the negative, draft a bogus, misleading headline and paint Arabs as troublemakers. There is no journalistic integrity in this.
Regards,
Natasha Tynes
Yep, this was indeed one piece of sloppy journalism.
Not only did they fail to credit their source, but the story was pretty much bogus as well. It was far easier to get away with this kind of work before the internet and blogosphere came along, me thinks.
As someone viewing this whole conflict from outside (although it concerns us here in Norway too), what frightens me is the obvious dehumanization.
Failing to see that the people living within your “enemy state” are individual humans too is the most common way of excusing violence and abuse of innocent people. Of course it´s not exclusive to this conflict – not at all. But it´s still frightening and sad to observe.
HI PEACE LOVING JORDANIANS!!!
I am Shlomo the IDF soldier and next to me my friend Glad. Today we have kille two arabs, NOT ON THE BATTLE FRONT mano a mano but Tanko a Mano. The way we prefer it.
We will be submitting our applicaton forms soon for your wonderful film school. We want peace so you will have to forgive us our indescritions from time to time. what’s a few murdered arabs. we can get over that. Of course if you ever kill two Israeli militants, we will do the same to you as we did to Lebanon. first we kill your women, then children, with the extra bombs we will take a few bridges out. Can’t we just get along. Look forward to my first day in class and to make peace with arabs, whom we respect a lot.
With kisses
Shlomo & Gilad
IDF
BBC NEWS: Two Palestinians killed by Israel
The Israeli army has killed two Palestinians in separate incidents in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Palestinian medics said a 14-year-old boy was killed in northern Gaza. Israel said it killed a Palestinian retrieving a rocket launcher.
In the second incident, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian they said was trying to stab them at a checkpoint close to the West Bank city of Nablus. But Palestinian witnesses said the 20-year-old victim was unarmed.
Israel launched an offensive against militants in Gaza after Palestinian gunmen seized a soldier in a cross-border raid from the strip on June 25. Around 225 Palestinians, half of them civilians, have been killed in the offensive in the impoverished strip. Israel has also been carrying out military strikes to try to stop gunmen firing homemade rockets at Israeli towns and villages near the border with Gaza.
Story from BBC NEWS: Published: 2006/10/09 16:23:51 GMT © BBC MMVI
Good for you Kinzi. Glad to have you on the side of justice.
MMM or NNN, apology accepted. It takes alot to ask forgiveness, I had forgiven you already and prayed for God to bless you.
BTW, I USED to be a Christian Zionist. Then I met Palestinians, now I am simply a Christian attempting to live out the command to “Do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God”.
“I don’t need your shoulders to climb on. ”
but you already did Amin. the good moderate arab in a face off with the bad extremist arab. LETS SUPPORT THE MODERATE OR THE EXTREMISTS WILL WIN. old trick but seems to work still.
Ya habibi, I don’t need your shoulders to climb on. I’m sorry that you see yourself as a victim of my self-absorbed opportunism. Because that’s what I do. I take opportunities of accusing people of being cynics. That’s right. That’s how I’ve paved my way to where I am in my life. This is retarded. I’m not participating in this silliness.
Amin, Feel sorry for yourself Amin. You believe in nothing but yourself. But that usually does not bother me since it’s not for me to tell anyone how to live his life and what to believe in.
But what is offensive is when the likes of you try to portray your indifference and selfishness as some act of peacemaking and sacrifice, and to portray those who care as some rejections, extremists. How ironic when your “sacrifices” seem to always put you in the good graces of the rich and strong. How convenient.
You should try to articulate your views without slinging mud on those who have opposite views. This discussion could have ended long time ago if you did not try to position yourself as the Peace Man and others as extreme, negative, hateful
There is nothing wrong with promoting your career in Hollywood but when you try to climb on my shoulders to impress your future bosses that’s when you at your worst…an opportunist of the finest caliber.
Haffad,
I feel sorry for people like you. I truly do. No sarcasm.
Opps. Sorry Kinzi. I missed your reply about accepting the right of returm. ignore last post 🙁
proceeding to insert foot in mouth.
Kinzi, like many other zionists before you, you either bud out or change the subject. I am not the one on trial here. I accept the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lock, stock, and barrel. Don’t change the subject
Here is me agains “spewing hate” as you say (which is very consistent with US and Israel’s interpertation of Moderates vs Extremists”
The real question REMAINS do you accept, without ifs thens or buts, that Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights applies to jews and non-jews alike including palestinains which stipulates: “(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.”
How is that for spewing hate. Your non-response and evasion is the HATE. because only a racial supremacist refuses to support the UNDHR (which you call hate speech)
ANOTHER WISHY WASHY ANSWER OR ANOTHER DIVERSION AND YOU ARE NOHTING BUT A SUPREMACIST JEW OR CHRISTIAN ZIONIST.