The Jewish Week's Gary Rosenblatt, The Forward's J.J. Goldberg and Jane Eisner, The Jewish Journal's Rob Eshman, The Chicago Jewish News' Joe Aaron, TC Jewfolk's Lonny Goldsmith, Debra Nussbaum Cohen for so many and ejewishphilanthropy's Dan Brown and so many more. But the list is getting shorter and shorter. These are the women and men who write and edit with courage and independence; men and women with whom I have sometimes disagreed as I respect them for their attempts to shed light often in dark corners and too often with strong resistance from their subjects.
All of this and more was brought to mind by a recent Comment to an earlier Post from a FOB:
"This blog continues to be right on, as it has been for many years - both Richard's posts and many of the reader comments. The only thing wrong with it is that it has only limited exposure. If our Jewish community had more independent journalism, many of the blog's posts and comments would have been reproduced and more people would understand what is going on at JFNA with their financial support.
Richard, you should follow up on that angle so that the message gets out. That is evidently the only chance we have to force action and change."There was a time when the Jewish media was interested, even focused on the communal system; today, like 100s of 1000s of donors, they have lost almost all interest.
Part of the problem has been that major federations have sought to assure that their unadulterated message appears in their own publications -- some well-produced but, certainly, the pages where never is read a discouraging, yet alone critical word. These newspapers have sucked up advertising dollars.
And, in so many ways, organizations like JFNA hide behind claimed "confidentiality" to obfuscate and camouflage bad news and, often, any news. (Readers will recall, among other times, the admonition I received for linking you to the Bridgespan "Strategic Plan" -- causing JFNA to take down the link and hide the Report.)
I think we all know the quote from Justice Brandeis: sunlight is the best of disinfectants. It is clear that in too many places, the mere thought of sunlight penetrating the darkness is anathema. The idea of a strong, inquiring, demanding independent Jewish press is to too many a really terrible idea.
This attitude, of course, raises a seminal question: what do they have to hide?
Just asking.
Rwexler
Posts
5 comments:
How,indeed, did they manage to completely kill the UIA and hand everything Israel over to Becky Caspi's farcical Global Operations empire without even a word in the Jewish press?
This is certainly confirmation that there is no longer even the slightest remnant of anything! slightly resembling free, independent Jewish journalism in the USA anymore.
Someday, someone will hopefully have the guts to tell the story as it was. By then, it will no doubt also be possible to add details of the yet to be experienced bad outcomes of these JFNA power manipulations.
The Jewish press couldn't help us prevent it but Jewish history will, hopefully, at least be able to document it.
To quote a famous Jewish writer --- yada, yada, yada
To anon 9:29 - The UIA story was one where NO ONE from UIA was willing to speak on the record, was simply inside baseball and simply not news worthy. Let's forget for a minute the answers JFNA provided when asked about UIA were fairy tales. And there have been several others like that over the past few years. And there are other stories percolating in the background as I comment. There is nothing wrong with anonymous comments on this blog (I occasionally make them too). But they don't fly in journalism, and anonymous emails aren't that much help either.
So, 9:29, obviously. I don't know who you are. Where do you stand on the waste at JFNA Israel? Willing to speak on record? Anyone, besides Richard, willing to go on record about the waste at JFNA Israel? Jerry's non-accomplishments over his tenure? Anyone, besides Richard, willing to speak about the problems at JAFI and federation relations with the organization? Chicago's nepotism? Other high profile men who should be outed in #MeToo style? Jeffrey Epstein? I've got a long list of important stories the Jewish professional world should read that aren't being written.
So 9;29, to paraphrase you, when will the readers of this blog have the guts to speak on record? You know where to find me.
Dan,
It seems to me that a good reporter would know how to investigate and tell a story without having to rely on sources agreeing to be quoted "on the record."
Most of the facts are well known or would require very little investigative reporting effort to uncover. You already have most of them or know who to ask.
My guess is that many of the people involved are worried about backlash from those with power, perhaps their employers.
All a good reporter needs to do is corroborate facts with multiple sources and it is perfectly acceptable that those sources remain anonymous and their identities protected.
Most of this is a clear case of "everybody knows" anyway. The problem is that "everybody" here refers only to a limited number of individuals and that group needs to be expanded.
Anonymous,
While at times you are correct, in the case of UIA, only JFNA spoke on the record. To the lesser informed, the assumption was good move JFNA - waste eliminated, or at least reduced. To those of us in the know, anything but. Now even more $ and people for Caspi to mismanage.
The non-American members of JAFI's board see this change, among others, as a positive. In fact, most are upbeat about the various changes currently taking place in JAFI and are convinced they will bring more American dollars to the table. Perhaps I'm the lone man out not drinking the Kool Aid.
That would make a solid opinion piece but a lousy story.
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