Month: July 2012

I’ve belatedly learned that author and USC journalism professor Sandy Tolan posted a complaint about my article “Did the New York Times Lead Anthony Shadid to His Death? Burying the Story along with the Body” at the CNI website, which was also posted on his facebook page.

While I’m glad that Tolan thus alerted people to my piece, I’m disappointed that he did this in an inaccurate and negative way. (I wonder if he has previously alerted people to my other articles and media studies.)

Tolan wrote:

“The night before he left on his fatal trip into Syria, Anthony Shadid told his wife: “‘If anything happens to me, I want the world to know the New York Times killed me.’”

This is reported as fact and yet it is at most a claim by one person that absolutely no one else in the family has come forward to repeat. It’s worth having a look at this piece:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-anthony-shadid-cousin-20120625,0,5148602.story

In a follow-up comment to a person who had questioned him, Tolan wrote:

My issue was with the Alison Weir article (not the LA Times article) taking the claim of a single person, not backed publicly by anyone else in the family, and stating it as fact.

Tolan’s comments are strange and perhaps revealing of bias. The fact is that I did quite clearly attribute Anthony Shadid’s quote to his cousin, Dr. Edward Shadid, writing:

At this point, Dr. Shadid said, Anthony called his wife and “gave his last haunting directive: ‘If anything happens to me, I want the world to know the New York Times killed me.’”

He said that after Anthony’s death, the Times put out a story saying that Anthony “died of asthma and that his body was carried out heroically by a journalist.” According to Dr. Shadid, “That never happened.”

He provided details about the immediate circumstances of Anthony’s death that he said were omitted from the Times narrative. [emphasis added]

In my article, contrary to Tolan’s comment, I reported that his family had not publicly confirmed these statements (most have refused to comment). I did point out that none has denied Dr. Shadid’s statements, which is perhaps the part that displeases Professor Tolan.

Interestingly, Tolan states that there is no problem with the LA Times blog. Yet, the LA Times article does exactly what Tolan considers problematic: reports an individual’s statement as fact:

The clearest picture on what happened to Anthony Shadid on his final days comes from Tyler Hicks, the New York Times staff photographer…

This is a considerably categorical statement. The fact is that Hicks’ version of events may or may not be true and benefits both Hicks himself and his employer, the New York Times.

According to Dr. Shadid, the New York Times’ version is inaccurate in a number of details. At this point it is impossible for the rest of us to know whether Hick’s statements are true in their entirety or whether they contain spin, errors, exaggeration, or omission.

Dr. Shadid stated in his speech that the Times‘ story that Anthony’s body had been carried out heroically by a journalist” [Hicks] in actuality “never happened.” (Interestingly, in an earlier interview it appeared that Anthony’s wife was also about to correct this, but was interrupted by her interviewer.)

It is disappointing but probably not surprising that Sandy Tolan – who, despite much good writing on Palestine, is very much a journalism insider – seems to tilt toward the New York Times over Dr. Shadid.

The point of my article was that there were highly newsworthy statements about Anthony Shadid’s death that the public deserved to learn, and that these had the potential to better protect future journalists from harm. For example, Dr. Shadid felt there was an untreated “epidemic of PTSD” throughout the media industry. 

Another commentator on the article provided corroborating, troubling information:

…Several times, reporters have told me after seeing colleagues in war zones that they shouldn’t be there. I remember specifically that a reporter said to me upon returning from an assignment in the Middle East and encountering a colleague, ”Shame on them, he/she is in no condition to be there and they know it.”

I wrote in the conclusion of my piece:

Saddest of all, is the likelihood that the burying of this story, along with recommendations of how news corporations could better protect their journalists, will lead to future burials of brilliant, courageous young journalists seeking to follow in Anthony’s footsteps – and who follow him in ways they did not expect or deserve.

I felt when I wrote the article, and still strongly feel, that it was wrong for AP and others to refuse to report on Dr. Shadid’s statements.

If they had done so, in addition to potentially leading to an improvement in conditions for journalists working in war zones, such coverage would have given readers the opportunity to consider for themselves what they think happened in regard to Anthony Shadid’s tragic death.

What do I personally suspect?

I find it highly implausible that Dr. Shadid fabricated the statement that he says Anthony said to his wife. I feel it is telling that despite her clear discomfort with the subject matter and her stated opposition to the controversy, she has not denied the validity of Dr. Shadid’s statement.

I also find it highly unlikely that Dr. Shadid fabricated the other statements he made about the circumstances of Anthony’s death and the lead up to it. I expect that many of his assertions can be independently confirmed, which is perhaps why the official New York Times response addresses none of his details.

Shadid is an eminent physician and a member of the Oklahoma City Council. His speech was quiet and thoughtful (I was there and heard it in person; others can see it in the video we posted with the article). While Tolan may wish to believe that for some reason Dr. Shadid made up these details, I find that deeply improbable.

Others may disagree. But by burying the story, AP and others withheld from readers the chance to decide for themselves.

Once again, Israel is recruiting university presidents and chancellors. I wonder how these academics can justify not meeting with Palestinians, who have suffered diverse academic assaults from Israel  – from ethnic/religious discrimination to their schools being shelled and students killed – while they’re over there. Think of the astronomical wealth of the Israel Lobby, which can fund a multitude of such trips.

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A delegation of U.S. university presidents is in Israel to explore opportunities for academic and research collaboration.

The seminar, which ends July 9, is sponsored by Project Interchange, an educational institute of the American Jewish Committee.

A president of a historically Black college and university, Spelman College President Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, is participating in the program the first time.  

The delegation was scheduled to meet with senior Israeli government and academic officials and leaders of civil society across the social and political spectrum, and to travel to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian leaders. They were scheduled to network with their counterparts at Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute, among others.

The group was also set to travel to Sderot, to view the city that has been under fire from rockets from Gaza. 

“As chancellor of a top American public research university with a strong international presence and aspirations to build on our existing global relationships, it is important that that I have a deep understanding of Israel and its neighbors,” said seminar delegation chair, University of California Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi.

[Some may recall that Katehi was part of scandals at the University of Illinois awhile back in which rich, well-connected students were getting admissions preferences over better qualified applicants, and at Davis, where police pepper sprayed peaceful students.]

#

Others who are part of the delegation:

•       Seminar Chair: Linda P.B. Katehi, Chancellor, University of California, Davis

•       Louis Agnese, Jr., President, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX

•       Lawrence Biondi, President, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO

•       Karen Haynes, President, California State University San Marcos

•       Elliot Hirshman, President, San Diego State University

•       Dorothy Leland, Chancellor, University of California, Merced

•       Harvey Perlman, Chancellor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

•       Beverly Tatum, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA

•       Randy Woodson, Chancellor, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Targeting academics for pro-Israel propaganda began in the 1040s, if not earlier:

With its extraordinary funding, AZEC embarked on a campaign to target every sector of American society, ordering that local committees be set up in every Jewish community in the nation. In the words of AZEC organizer Sy Kenen, it launched “a political and public relations offensive to capture the support of Congressmen, clergy, editors, professors, business and labor.”[77] [78]

……Grassroots Zionist action groups were organized with more than 400 local committees under 76 state and regional branches. AZEC funded books, articles and academic studies; millions of pamphlets were distributed. There were massive petition and letter writing campaigns. AZEC targeted college presidents and deans, managing to get more than 150 to sign one petition.[80]

         – The History of US-Israel Relations Part One: How the “special relationship” was created

#

Below is the press release — read the members’ docile statements:

Leading US University Presidents to Explore Innovation & Academic Collaboration with Israel — press release

(Wednesday, June 27th, 2012)

To bolster their global relationships and bilateral academic exchange and cooperation, a US delegation of university presidents and chancellors will explore opportunities for academic and research collaboration, learn about state-of-the art research initiatives, and study the unique academia-industry ties that have turned Israel into the “Start Up Nation.” The delegation will be in Israel July 1-9, for the University Presidents Seminar sponsored by Project Interchange, an educational institute of AJC.

“Israel is a leader in technical innovation,” said North Carolina State University Chancellor Randy Woodson. “Sharing information on the strong ties between higher education and industry will provide meaningful examples for NC State’s continued efforts to support a strong economy in North Carolina.”

Resonating with her colleague, California State University San Marcos President Dr. Karen Haynes said, “Cal State San Marcos is a young, 22-year-old, public university-one of very few actually built for the 21st century, with hallmarks of creativity and innovation.  I look forward to learning more about how Israel has fostered national innovation and how that is developed and nurtured in its universities as lessons learned to bring home to my institution.”

For the first time, a president of a historically black college will be participating. Spelman College President Beverly Tatum, who heads America’s oldest historically black college for women, was instrumental in Atlanta’s Rabin-King initiative, which promotes Yitzhak Rabin’s and Martin Luther King’s ideals of equality, integration, peace, collaboration and the value of education.

The delegation will be meeting with senior Israeli government and academic officials and leaders of civil society across the social and political spectrum, and will be traveling to areas in Yehuda and Shomron to meet with PA (Palestinian Authority) leaders. They will network with their counterparts at Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute, among others.

Seminar delegation chair, University of California Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi noted, “As chancellor of a top American public research university with a strong international presence and aspirations to build on our existing global relationships, it is important that I have a deep understanding of Israel and its neighbors. From what I have been told by peers who have already participated in Project Interchange, the program is an excellent way to learn a great deal about Israel and its place in the ever-changing Middle East. I look forward to our upcoming visit and seminar with tremendous anticipation.”

“This impressive delegation of university leaders opens the door to enhanced academic ties between Israel and a wide cross-section of US campuses,” said Project Interchange Executive Director Sam Witkin. “The interest Israeli world-class research and educational facilities have generated attests to the country’s role as a global player in education and innovation.”

Chancellor Harvey Perlman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, stated, “The Middle East plays a critical role in the world, and one cannot fully appreciate the issues it generates without being there. I am looking forward to visiting with our Israeli colleagues in higher education and others so that I can better understand their perspective, and also explore enhancing or facilitating the University of Nebraska’s relationships in Israel. UNL has a major initiative in the use of water in agriculture, and the Israelis, because of their circumstances, have been exceptionally creative in this field.”

Chancellor Dorothy Leland, University of California, Merced, noted, “I look forward to joining other higher education leaders to visit such a richly diverse country. Experiencing aspects of Israel firsthand will complement my knowledge of the region attained through my previous travels abroad. This visit will also open opportunities for academic and research collaborations in a country with a remarkable density of start-up technology companies.”

“I believe Project Interchange will allow me to gain a much better understanding of Israeli culture, especially from my position as president of the largest Catholic university in Texas,” said Dr. Louis Agnese, President, University of the Incarnate Word. “Specifically, I expect to gain a greater awareness of the complex issues facing Israel, particularly as they pertain to higher education. I would also like to explore reciprocal educational opportunities, which are known as sister school agreements.  We have a strong desire to establish sister school opportunities between the University of the Incarnate Word and like-minded universities in Israel.  I’m a firm believer these types of opportunities allow students from diverse backgrounds to engage in positive dialogue that can help close the cultural gaps that often separate them.”

The Project Interchange intensive seminar will offer the group broad exposure to the complex issues facing Israel and the region, with briefings by Israeli and Palestinian thought leaders and experts. Venture capitalist Jon Medved will share insights into what makes Israel the Startup Nation. The delegation will also visit Sderot to get a first-hand look at life under rocket fire.

Recent Project Interchange delegations have included US energy experts, French and German political leaders, Chinese and Indian-American academic leaders, Latina students, college newspaper editors, counter-terrorism experts from Europe and the United States, and journalists from across the world, with upcoming seminars planned for Indian parliamentarians and American civil rights leaders.

The University Presidents and Chancellors delegation includes:

•       Seminar Chair: Linda P.B. Katehi, Chancellor, University of California, Davis

•       Louis Agnese, Jr., President, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX

•       Lawrence Biondi, President, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO

•       Karen Haynes, President, California State University San Marcos

•       Elliot Hirshman, President, San Diego State University

•       Dorothy Leland, Chancellor, University of California, Merced

•       Harvey Perlman, Chancellor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

•       Beverly Tatum, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA

•       Randy Woodson, Chancellor, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

 

It looks like the new “academic” discipline of “hate studies,” is often a front to accuse people of “anti-Semitism.” A researcher thoroughly documents its neglect of Zionism as a source of hate, and the Hate Studies Journal, of course, rejects his paper.

See “Hate Studies” Ignores Certain Types of Hate and tell others about what’s going on. Be sure not to miss the additional articles at the end of the article that expose the Southern Poverty Law Center, an institution that many of us long respected…