It is unacceptable for an individual who actively defends such editorial recklessness to sit as a professional member of the very body tasked with adjudicating media ethics in Canada. His continued presence on the Council severely damages the NNC's credibility and sends a chilling message to the public that the Council tolerates journalism that endangers lives.
I am writing to you today on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to lodge a formal complaint regarding the continued professional membership of Rob Roberts, the editor-in-chief of the National Post, within the National NewsMedia Council (NNC). We believe his recent actions constitute a gross ethics violation that fundamentally undermines the integrity and mandate of the Council.
As recently reported by the Toronto Star, an op-ed published under Mr. Roberts’s purview, “Jewish law tells us how to deal with Avi Lewis” by Yoni Goldstein, was of such an inflammatory nature that it directly led to Avi Lewis requiring RCMP protection. The publication of calls to violence that endanger the physical safety of public figures or citizens is a severe departure from responsible journalistic practice.
We have separately attached our complaint to the National Post regarding Goldstein’s op-ed for your consideration.
The core of our complaint lies not just in the publication of the piece itself, but in Mr. Roberts's response to the fallout. Rather than taking editorial accountability, acknowledging the demonstrable harm caused, and retracting the dangerous rhetoric, Mr. Roberts chose to publicly defend the op-ed in his comments to the Toronto Star.
The NNC exists to promote ethical practices within Canadian media and to ensure that journalists and editors are held to a rigorous standard of accountability. By defending content that incites real-world danger and necessitates police intervention for an individual's safety, Mr. Roberts has demonstrated a blatant disregard for the ethical principles that the Council claims to stand for.
It is unacceptable for an individual who actively defends such editorial recklessness to sit as a professional member of the very body tasked with adjudicating media ethics in Canada. His continued presence on the Council severely damages the NNC's credibility and sends a chilling message to the public that the Council tolerates journalism that endangers lives.
Mr. Roberts's behavior is part of a larger pattern of disregard for journalistic ethics. Roberts is a Fellow for the Israel-funded Exigent Foundation and went on a trip with the organization, which is typically all-expenses-paid, representing a serious conflict of interest. Under his direction, the National Post regularly edited Canadian Press wire articles to skew them towards a pro-Israel bias. Under his leadership, the newspaper's contract with the Canadian Press was terminated, and now instead relies on the pro-Israel Jerusalem News Syndicate (JNS), which he ludicrously called “more reliable” than wire services like the Associated Press. In an interview with JNS, Roberts said that the National Post is an “explicitly Zionist newspaper.”
It is concerning that the National Post is considered a member in good standing with the Council at all.
CJPME urgently requests that the Board immediately launch a formal review into Mr. Roberts’s conduct in this matter and revoke his status as a professional member of the NNC. We look forward to your prompt response regarding the steps the Council will take to address this urgent ethical breach.
Sincerely,
Jason Toney
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)