Scholars and Writers Pledge to Boycott Major US Paper over Palestine Coverage - Assalamu Alaikum
Assalamu Alaikum - A group of over 300 writers, scholars and public thinkers have announced they will stop sending pieces to a prominent US newspaper, citing what they call a persistent anti-Palestinian slant in its opinion pages.
They say they will withhold submissions until the paper meets three demands aimed at correcting its coverage of Israel’s offensive in Gaza and how it reports allegations of war crimes and other abuses. In a public letter released this week, the signatories accused the newspaper’s opinion pages of biased framing and asked for accountability and more truthful, ethical reporting on the US-Israeli actions in Gaza.
The group describes their move as a necessary way to push back against institutional power that they believe has long helped normalize certain narratives about the conflict. Among those who joined are well-known writers, academics and public figures from diverse backgrounds, and nearly 150 former contributors to the paper also added their names to the pledge.
Their demands include a thorough review of the paper’s reporting on Palestine, new editorial standards and updated sourcing and citation practices, plus a revised style guide for describing the conflict. They also call for a ban on contributions from journalists who have served in the Israeli military, and for the retraction of a December 2023 opinion piece that made serious allegations about sexual assaults during the October 7 attacks - allegations that critics say were based on weak sourcing and have since been seriously questioned.
The newspaper has acknowledged that newly surfaced video evidence challenges some of the claims but has not retracted the piece. Independent inquiries by other outlets had already found some of the reported assault claims unsubstantiated, and relatives of those said to be victims criticized the reporting.
The writers also urged the paper’s editorial board to support a US arms embargo on Israel, calling such a stance reasonable under the circumstances. They argued the paper’s influence is immense - shaping coverage across Western newsrooms - and therefore its stance matters greatly.
The letter accuses the paper of obscuring and sometimes justifying the actions of the Israeli government and military since the Gaza offensive began, continuing what the signatories describe as a long pattern of amplifying official Israeli narratives.
May Allah guide toward justice and truthful reporting, and protect civilians caught up in violence.
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