Irresponsible "He Said, She Said" Journalism

"New Tensions in Jerusalem's Arab Neighborhoods"
A10, Sunday 12/7/08
By Isabel Kershner

In this article, NYT reporter Isabel Kershner presents a convoluted picture in which Jewish religious nationalists, supposedly in collusion with the Israeli government, are attempting to "Judaize" parts of Arab East Jerusalem. As evidence, she describes three "ostensibly unconnected" events - "the demolition of two Arabs homes in Silwan [Arab neighborhood of East Jeruslem],... the start of a controversial infrastructure project there; and the eviction of a Palsetinian family from its home in Sheik Jarrah [another Arab neighborhood].

The most problematic part of this article is that it supports the notion that the Israeli government and Jerusalem municipality is conspiring with Jewish religious nationalists in this Judaizing project. In support of this view, Kershner quotes various sources:

• “Israel is trying to create facts on the ground and determine the results before we reach any solution.” ["Hatem Abdel Qader, an adviser on Jerusalem affairs to the Palestinian Authority prime minister, Salam Fayyad"]
• “The Israeli government and Jerusalem city are now like tools in the settlers’ hands.” ["Jawwad Siyam, an activist in Silwan"]

Among other things, she also writes that Jerusalem's new mayor, Nir Barkat, "has vocally supported expansion of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem" without providing background to support this assertion.

While it is factual to express concern about the inroads being made by Jewish religious nationalists in neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, since they appear to have no real committment to coexistence with their Arab neigbhors, it is journalistically irresponsible to assert that the the Israeli government directly supports them. Simply because certain municipal and governmental decisions have aligned with the interests of these religious nationalists is not sufficient evidence to assert that the Israeli government supports their position.

Rather than being committed to the facts, as is Kershner's obligation as a journalist, she instead gives uncritical voice to those individuals that fallaciously claim that the Israeli government provides wholesale support for the Judaization of East Jerusalem. By reporting these claims with barely any critical comment, or journalistic investigation, Kershner is essentially labeling it is fact.

Reporting someone's opinion is a fact but a sound journalist is obligated to determine whether that person's opinion is, in fact, based in fact. Kershner fails to do this, presenting unsubstantiated opinion as fact.

Kershner is practicing an irresponsible "he said, she said" journalism in which the deeper truth is never really exposed, but her political biases are.