Please help us thank Brishti Basu and CBC for a detailed and complete article about the consequences employees and students face for expressing their pro-Palestine stance. It draws a thorough portrait from various industries: art, media, academia, health care, law, sport, service sector, etc.
Good coverage - Media outlet to be thanked
I just spent a little time tallying up the responses to our alerts since October 7.
Three thousand, seven hundred and twenty-six.
That's 3,726 unique emails to journalists and editors around the country in less the three months. All of these emails demand fair coverage of Palestinians.
The real number (our tracking methods are imperfect) is even higher than that, probably in the neighborhood of 4,000 or more.
In either case, this accomplishment was unthinkable when we launched the MAP earlier this year. It would have been impossible if it were not for you, our dedicated team of Media Responders. More than applause is due to all of you.
This will be the last alert of the year. Fatima, myself, and (most) of the rest of the team will take a much-needed break. Some of CJPME's staff will continue working through the holidays, though. The level of dedication among my colleagues is tough to describe. Know that your support, whether financially or by taking action with the MAP, is not taken for granted.
It's hard to describe what exactly our collective impact is with the MAP. I could point to a specific article, or correction, or some bit of new context being added. I could share links to letters we've published or one of many interviews with our VP, Michael, on CBC. I could also highlight some of the most compelling letters we've sent.
Ultimately, I'm not sure any one of these things would really capture the value of what we're doing. The MAP is dynamic, grassroots, and positively antagonistic. Part of its power is that it's hard to define or track. For media, we are like the collective buzz of annoying gnats. They have to listen. We cannot be swatted away. I believe that we are collectively being heard. I see new pieces of evidence constantly emerging. Narratives are shifting, even if only incrementally.
Again, I more than appreciate everyone's efforts. Whether you sent one letter or dozens, it helps us move one step closer to restoring some balance where it is so desperately needed.
Warmest best wishes & until 2024,
Jason, Fatima, and the rest of the MAP team
A CJPME Media Researcher has launched a media alert for the following article. Please submit a quick response to the media, even if it’s just a sentence or two:
Title of Piece: Brishti Basu: "'Chilling effect': People expressing pro-Palestinian views censured, suspended from work and school"
Media Outlet: CBC - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Click here to access the piece online
Comments of the CJPME Media Researcher:
(Note: Please do not copy and paste the material below as the content to your message to the media - put all comments in your own words):
Please help us thank Brishti Basu and CBC for a detailed and complete article about the consequences employees and students face for expressing their pro-Palestine stance. It draws a thorough portrait from various industries: art, media, academia, health care, law, sport, service sector, etc.
Here are some specific points you can mention in your letter:
- The article highlights the double standard that people showing support for Israel do not face.
- Basu raises the question of the broader impact of a pro-Palestine stance: false accusations of support for terrorism or antisemitism, freedom of speech, islamophobia, anti-Arab racism, and an increase in calls for help to lawyers and law firms.
- She gives voice to reputable people and a diversity of people who have faced repercussions to give a complete and accurate picture of the extent of that issue.
- Basu highlights how easy it is for people to get falsely accused for their pro-Palestine stance. She mentions what words can lead to such consequences: the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” the words “genocide” and “apartheid.” She mentions the link between people’s social media reception and their dismissal.
It is not common to see an article cover this issue in such a balanced and lengthy way. It is, therefore, important to encourage Brishti Basu and CBC to write more articles in this spirit.
Please click here to launch an email in which you can draft a response to this media coverage.
If you have any problems, please email [email protected].
Thank you very much. Every response makes a difference.
The CJPME Media Centre Team
Email CJPME - CJPME Website