"The job of a journalist is not just to quote what people say, but to evaluate what they say in light of objective truth. In this case, Teotonio needed to grapple with the question, “Does raising concerns about one type of discrimination automatically create another type of discrimination.” Or more specifically in this case, is there anything in the concern about APR which is justified? Teotonio failed in her obligation to readers."
June 21, 2024
To:
Isabel Teotonio, Education Reporter, Toronto Star
Donovan Vincent, Public Editor, Toronto Star
Dear Ms. Teotonio, Mr. Vincent,
I was highly disappointed by the coverage provided by Ms. Teotonio in her article, “TDSB adopts strategy to combat anti-Palestinian racism, seeks to address concerns by Jewish groups.” Overall, I felt as though Ms. Teotonio’s article gave more space and attention to the objections to including anti-Palestinian racism (APR) in the TDSB’s anti-racism strategy, rather than explaining the expressed needs for the inclusion in the first place.
Teotonio’s article cites Colleen Russell-Rawlins, director of education at the Toronto District School Board, who highlighted the concerns of Jewish parents. The article also cites Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin, who sought to amend the strategy to “address rising antisemitism.” It also cited Trustee Shelley Laskin who also sought to amend the strategy, “so that an anti-Israeli racism strategy be included in the report.” As such, the most-quoted and most-cited voices in the article all sought to oppose or dilute the decision to recognize APR. Only at the very end of the article is a neutral comment by Trustee Zakir Patel included, where they affirm the vote of the council saying, that it “strengthens our overall stance against all forms of hate and discrimination.” At no point did Teotonio quote anyone explicitly supporting the decision in the vote, despite it passing 15-7.
As such, the article is highly prejudicial in its selection and placement of viewpoints, and its highlighting of concerns of people opposed to the inclusion of anti-Palestinian racism. Please correct this glaring bias in future reporting.
Multiple times in the article, Teotonio makes reference to the definition, absence of a definition, or implications of including APR. However, it would have been a simple matter to highlight the widely recognized definition of APR provided by the Arab Canadian Lawyer’s Association in its 2022 report: “Anti-Palestinian Racism: Naming, Framing and Manifestations.” This definition is widely regarded, is frequently cited by groups highlighting the problem of APR in the TDSB, and certainly does not attack Jews or Israel. Antisemitism is widely taught and discussed; APR is not. Ms. Teotonio should have quoted or paraphrased the definition of APR to make the reasons for its inclusion in the TDSB strategy more clear. By failing to provide any explanation of what APR actually is, Teotonio’s article tends to amplify nebulous concerns.
The job of a journalist is not just to quote what people say, but to evaluate what they say in light of objective truth. In this case, Teotonio needed to grapple with the question, “Does raising concerns about one type of discrimination automatically create another type of discrimination.” Or more specifically in this case, is there anything in the concern about APR which is justified? Teotonio failed in her obligation to readers.
I strenuously urge Ms. Teotonio to raise her standard and help the Toronto community better grapple with such issues when talking about racism in Toronto schools in the future. Should you wish to discuss further, you can reach me at 438-380-5410.
Sincerely,
Thomas Woodley, MPA
President, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East