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 Poor coverage - Media outlet to be critiqued
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: Charles N. Bernstein: "The misuse of a medical school valedictory speech"
Media Outlet: Winnipeg Free Press
Click here to access the piece on-line. If the article is behind a media paywall, click here to view the article in .pdf format.
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 critique this opinion piece by Charles N. Bernstein, a professor of medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine of the University of Manitoba. Bernstein lambasts one of his own graduates, the valedictorian, Dr Gem Newman, for his speech calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and raising awareness on the genocide in Gaza at his May 16 graduation. Winnipeg Free Press has released several articles about the developments following the valedictorian’s speech; their stories have been mixed.
We are encouraging responders to send letters to the editor in response to this op-ed, especially considering that the columnist is none other than a Professor of the faculty from which the valedictorian graduated. We have included the letter to the editor email as well as the email of Dr Berstein.
It is disturbing to see a professor slander a former student and spread lies. Here are, among other things, the points you can mention in your letter:
- Bernstein falsely accuses the speech of being hateful and based on lies, which is simply not true. Dr Gem Newman's speech was fact-based. This is concerning and hurtful coming from a Professor from the valedictorian’s own faculty. Bernstein should side with his students instead of smearing and dismissing them.
- Bernstein blatantly lies and claims that “the Israeli governments in 2000 and 2008 offered deals to create a two-state solution with the return of 97% of lands to the Palestinians.” This is just one of many other historical inaccuracies in his opinion article.
- Bernstein also makes baseless claims about Hamas. He claims that Hamas “took the billions of aid dollars and created an underground tunnel infrastructure to wage war on Israel” and that it “embedded itself within the citizen population and under hospitals, to put their citizens at risk.” Again, this is simply a distortion of reality and untrue.
- Bernstein refutes that there is genocide in Gaza by positing this uncorrelated assertion that “if Israel wanted to commit genocide on Arabs living in their neighbourhood, they would not have signed a peace treaty with Egypt and Jordan.” This assertion does not make sense as one signing a "peace treaty" still can commit genocide. It also goes against reputable sources that have reached this conclusion, such as the ICJ.
Since we've included the email for submitting letters to the editor, you may consider writing your letter so it can be published in the letters section.
Please click here to launch an email in which you can draft a response to this media coverage.
Thank you very much. Every response makes a difference.
The CJPME Media Centre Team
Email CJPME - CJPME Website
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