The anti-Semitic canard that Jews control the news and entertainment media — even the entire world — is popular and widespread in many Arab and Islamic countries. Largely disregarded in the West, this rabid accusation unfortunately reared its ugly head recently in two local Milwaukee publications.
The first instance occurred in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student newspaper the Leader on Nov. 7 and was covered in the Dec. 7 and 14 issues of the Chronicle.
The most recent occurred in the liberal and progressive Shepherd Express. A free weekly newspaper found throughout metro-Milwaukee, the Shepherd ran a cover story on Nov. 15 by Sandra Whitehead entitled “Milwaukee’s Palestinians: Their Stories.”
In explaining why there is an alleged dearth of Palestinian perspectives in the media, Whitehead wrote:
“Little appears in the American media discussing the fact that the indigenous Palestinians were expelled, their villages destroyed, their land taken and their society eradicated…. There are plenty of reasons Palestinian views have been under-reported. Many Palestinian Americans will say it is the result of Jewish influence on the American press. This view, widely held by Palestinians, may or may not be true.”
Such statements are not befitting respectable publications; they sound uncomfortably like the drivel that spews from the government-controlled media of many Arab states.
In Saudi Arabia, for example, the al-Watan newspaper recently published a two-part series outlining how “the Jews” are attempting to control the world. According to the article, manipulation of mass media is an important tool in the Jews’ designs of world domination.
The Shepherd’s flirtation with the allegation that Jews have too much influence on the media sounds tamer and more politically correct than that of al-Watan or the writer in the Leader, yet the inference is the same: “The Jews” control the flow of information, or influence it too much, especially against their enemies.
The Shepherd mostly covers local and national events and generally does not cover international news. However, sometimes Shepherd columnists do comment on U.S. foreign policy issues.
Dave Berkman, a retired UW-Milwaukee professor of mass communications and a columnist for the Shepherd, is highly critical of Israel. Yet ironically, Berkman told the Chronicle last January that “Israel is a reality and as a Jew I am glad it is there. And when I hear many of my own arguments about Israel [coming from non-Jews] my antennas go up.”
I think that comment is illuminating. Judging from it, and considering that the Shepherd lauds itself as Milwaukee’s “alternative” news source (i.e., not corporate-owned and therefore more independent than, say, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), I cannot help but wonder whether some of the Shepherd’s criticism of Israel over the years has been partially motivated by its staff’s desire to be, bluntly speaking, on the opposite side of the mainstream media.
For example, Whitehead began her story by claiming that a) there was not enough information about Palestinian viewpoints (highly debatable; in fact, Yasser Arafat visited the White House during the Clinton administration more times than any other world leader) and b) that she wanted to counter Palestinian stereotypes.
Meanwhile, who can claim that anti-Jewish stereotypes do not exist? When was the last time you heard anything about Israel in the media that was not related to the conflict (not including the Jewish or Israeli press)?
For all of Whitehead’s reasons on why it was high time to illuminate aspects of the Palestinian experience, so too do those reasons apply to Israel.
Additionally, while the Shepherd ran numerous letters from readers lauding the story, only two pro-Israel letters were printed. This author’s letter was apparently rejected, and one of the pro-Israel letters that was printed was run only after the author called the Shepherd numerous times.
But apparently the Shepherd’s editors felt that owing to “Jewish influence on the American press” — which “may or may not be true” — or for other reasons, the Palestinians were not getting a fair shake, so the Shepherd should help even the playing field on their behalf.
I think giving any credence to an age-old anti-Semitic canard is unbefitting of a progressive publication like the Shepherd Express, or any publication for that matter. After considering the matter, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee denounced the Leader’s piece. The Shepherd should do the same regarding its inference. It owes the Jewish community an apology — if not, how about an article about Milwaukee’s Israelis?
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