Wednesday, July 08, 2020
Bloggers,
compared to journalists, can say more about antisemitism. That’s because the
two disciplines—blogging and journalism—are different. In journalism, one has
to adhere to journalistic standards and avoid bias. But the blogosphere offers
possibilities beyond those standards.
In
a blog I can say what I like—things you just can’t say in a straight news piece.
As a blogger I write the things I think my readers should know—things that may not
be politically correct. My responsibility as a blogger lies only in remaining
faithful to my standards and sensibilities and those of my host. The reader’s
responsibility, on the other hand, lies in accepting or rejecting my words, or
skipping past them altogether.
This
was the basis for The
Comprehensive List of Antisemitic Celebrities. The freedom of being able to
say what a journalist cannot. As a blogger, I don’t have to pussy-foot around a
topic and stay within narrow journalistic confines. I can say more about a
subject, more about antisemitism. I can say what I think. I can go out on a
limb and say, “This too, is antisemitism.”
A List Was Born
I
had wished for a reference like my list for a long time and when I mentioned it
to others, they said that they too, would like to have such a list. The idea percolated
for at least a couple of years. I was afraid that it would be a herculean task;
that making such a list would be biting off more than I could chew.
But
a couple of weeks ago, I decided to research the topic and see where it went. I
started with the most recent news piece, the now-infamous Chelsea Handler
Instagram post of Farrakhan speaking about racism that so many of her celebrity
buddies liked. The Instagram post is gone, and Handler has apologized.
A
journalist would have reported only the facts of the incident, without labeling
the behavior of Handler and the others. But a blogger is allowed to express an
opinion. And in my opinion, Handler, and all the meek little celebrities who
liked her post, aligned themselves with a known antisemite. As supposedly “woke”
people, I deemed it appropriate to include their names in my list.
Adhering To IHRA
This
brings me to CAMERA-UK and Adam Levick’s Editors’
Note On Cancel Culture And Misuse Of The Term “Antisemitism.” The piece
speaks of the importance of journalists adhering to journalistic standards, and
in particular, adhering to the IHRA
working definition of antisemitism when reporting on any possible
expression of antisemitism. I agree.
Levick
says we should be careful about what we label antisemitism. That we shouldn’t
throw slings and arrows at people and media outlets, but at their behavior. Because
we don’t want to mimic the current cancel culture zeitgeist in which a
misbehaving celebrity loses his/her job and is shunned within both professional
and personal spheres based on spurious charges and slander.
IHRA Is
Subjective
It
makes sense. But as a blogger, and possibly even as a journalist, it’s my right
to say that the IHRA definition is subject to interpretation. This is perhaps
why IHRA saw fit to follow the definition with a list of examples covered by
the definition. The examples are prefaced by this introductory text (emphasis
mine):
“Contemporary
examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and
in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context,
include, but are not limited to:”
In
other words, the contemporary examples of antisemitism listed on IHRA’s own
page are not comprehensive, not final. The page suggests that we may have to
always be watching things to see if what we see is or isn’t antisemitism
according to the IHRA definition. And that leaves the process in the public’s
hands, to some degree. Which makes the process of determining what does and
doesn’t fit IHRA, at least somewhat subjective.
Strictest Sense
Now,
as a journalist, I would have to interpret behavior as antisemitic only
according to the strictest, most narrow sense of the IHRA definition. I would
have to give benefit of the doubt and try to think if there’s something in the
behavior that I can use as an out, a way to say “This is not necessarily
antisemitic,” before casting aspersions.
And
as a media consumer, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Don’t interpret my news.
Let me read the facts and decide on my own.
But
as a blogger, I can go broader. I can go all Potter Stewart
and say I know antisemitism when I see it. And my readers expect that of me, as
long as I make my case. I can say “This
is what happened. I think it fits the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Here’s
why.”
As
long as I’m using the IHRA definition as my guide, I’m within my rights to
expand on the examples given on the IHRA page, to interpret behavior according
to my understanding of the IHRA definition. Which is why, as a blogger, I can
say more about antisemitism.
Labeling
Behavior, Not People
In
terms of pointing out antisemitic behavior, rather than naming and shaming, I
see Levick’s point. It’s Parenting 101. You don’t label the kid. You say the
behavior is bad. You don’t say, “Bad boy!” but “It is bad to throw your food on
the floor.”
But
I think this misses the point of my list. “The Comprehensive List of Antisemitic
Celebrities” is not meant to name and shame celebrities, but to offer
information to the reader. It’s my way of saying, “Here’s something you may
want to know about. If this is interesting or useful, fine. If not, next week
I’m writing about squirrels sovereignty.”
In
cancel culture, a call to action goes out. Fire him/her. Boycott this/that.
Protest. Loot a store. But there was no call to action in the “comprehensive
list.” I didn’t tell the reader what to do with the information or whether to
do anything at all. That is the reader’s own business. Which is very different
than the #metoo hashtag campaigns or the aggressive tactics of, for instance,
BDS or BLM.
The
fact is, the “Comprehensive List” includes no instructions on how my readers
should relate to the information it contains. I didn’t suggest a boycott of
Handler, Aniston, Portman, or Silverman. I suggested no action at all. I didn’t
even mention how I personally intend to use this information, if at all. It’s
just something to know.
Follow Your
Conscience
A
person’s private behavior is their own matter. When I found out Alice Walker
was an antisemite, for instance, I decided never to give her royalties, again.
That I would not watch “The Color Purple” or read the book. But I never
suggested to anyone that they should follow suit.
The
same is true of how I see a certain unnamed media outlet. Once I decide a
particular outlet is anti-Israel, I don’t write for them. I don’t read their
articles, but always look for an alternative source for the information. But that
doesn’t mean others must do the same. My advice? Follow your conscience.
Blogging
is da bomb. I can say that because I have done lots of writing in my time. All
kinds of writing. Straight news pieces, blogs, marketing content, op-eds,
classroom resources, and more. But I am content in my spare time to blog.
Because only in a blog can I share the truth that is in my heart.
It’s Something—Take
Note!
It’s
where I can go beyond the strictest, most narrow sense of a definition to say:
“There’s something here, something a journalist might not want to touch. But it’s
something, so take note!”
That
is the freedom that comes with being a blogger. I can say what a journalist
cannot. But what you do with the information is your own business.
Believe
it. Don’t believe it. Agree or disagree.
It's completely up to you.
