Just Journalism

Just Journalism was a UK-based research organisation and pressure group,[http://www.thejc.com/comment/mediawatch/pressure-group-must-keep-pressure "Pressure group must keep up pressure"], The Jewish Chronicle, 9 July 2009 which commented on Israel and the Middle East. Its stated goals were to focus "on how Israel and Middle East issues are reported in the UK media."[http://justjournalism.com/mission-statement/ Mission Statement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215124403/http://justjournalism.com/mission-statement/ |date=2010-12-15 }} Just Journalism website The organisation published online analyses in response to news stories, reported on "long-term trends", and opinion pieces for external publications.

It was established in the spring of 2008 with Michael Weiss as executive director. Just Journalism was closely associated with the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), sharing an office with it.{{fact|date=January 2014}}

When Just Journalism was closed, in September 2011, citing "lack of funds" as the reason, Robin Shepherd, international affairs director of the Henry Jackson Society and a member of Just Journalism's advisory board, said: "This is a great pity and the cause of Israel in Britain will be the poorer for it."[http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/55184/just-journalism-forced-close "Just Journalism forced to close"], Jewish Chronicle, 22 September 2011

Output

Just Journalism analysed the British media’s coverage of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, as well as related Middle East topics, such as the Iranian nuclear programme,[http://www.justjournalism.com/bbc-focus/view/bbc-news-online-continues-to-downplay-iranian-threats "BBC News Online continues to downplay Iranian threats"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123191705/http://www.justjournalism.com/bbc-focus/view/bbc-news-online-continues-to-downplay-iranian-threats |date=2010-01-23 }} Just Journalism, 3 December 2009 the status of human rights in Arab states,[http://justjournalism.com/media-analysis/the-guardian-marks-ten-years-of-bashar-al-assads-regime/ "The Guardian marks ten years of Bashar al-Assad’s regime"]{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Just Journalism, 16 July 2009 and the conditions of Palestinian refugees outside of the West Bank and Gaza.[http://www.justjournalism.com/media-analysis/view/new-bill-highlights-plight-of-palestinians-in-lebanon "New bill highlights plight of Palestinians in Lebanon"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819231406/http://www.justjournalism.com/media-analysis/view/new-bill-highlights-plight-of-palestinians-in-lebanon |date=2010-08-19 }} Just Journalism, 18 August 2010

The organisation also engaged in "events and activities" about "journalistic accountability", such as the December 2010 conference, titled "Squaring the Circle? Britain and the De-legitimisation of Israel" and organised jointly with the Henry Jackson Society, which took place in London.[http://justjournalism.com/events/de-legitimisation/ Event announcement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101107024647/http://justjournalism.com/events/de-legitimisation/ |date=2010-11-07 }} Just Journalism website The event, co-sponsored by Bank Hapoalim and The Jewish Chronicle, featured as panelists academic, lawyer and bioethicist Ruth Deech; Observer columnist Nick Cohen; Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom Ron Prosor; Times senior journalist Daniel Finkelstein; and Friends of Israel Initiative Executive Director Rafael Bardají.[http://friendsofisraelinitiative.org/event.php?c=51 "Herzliya Conference"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302224902/http://www.friendsofisraelinitiative.org/event.php?c=51 |date=2011-03-02 }} Event announcement, Friends of Israel Initiative It was chaired by Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard.

Media coverage

Just Journalism’s work has been mentioned in British, American and Israeli publications such as The Jewish Chronicle,[http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/26862/media-monitor-says-ft-blames-israel "Media Monitor says FT blames Israel"] The Jewish Chronicle, 4 February 2010 The New Republic[http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-spine/obamas-turkish-ally-denying-the-armenian-massacre-now-threatening-armenian-deportatio "Obama's Turkish Ally: Denying The Armenian Massacre, Now Threatening an Armenian Deportation"] The New Republic, 22 March 2010 and The Jerusalem Post.[http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=167640 "FT sees Israel as main cause of ME problems"] The Jerusalem Post, 2 March 2010 It has also had opinion pieces published in Haaretz,[http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/afghan-war-logs-war-crimes-and-media-hypocrisy-1.305044 "Afghan war logs, ‘war crimes’ and media hypocrisy"], Haaretz, 30 July 2010 the Weekly Standard,[https://web.archive.org/web/20120105235556/http://www.weeklystandard.com/print/blogs/what-david-cameron-doesnt-know-about-turkey "What David Cameron Doesn't Know About Turkey"], Weekly Standard, 29 July 2010 Standpoint,[http://www.standpointmag.co.uk/features-july-10-carmel-gould-palestinians-lebanon-refugees "Refugees ad infinitum"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824161606/http://www.standpointmag.co.uk/features-july-10-carmel-gould-palestinians-lebanon-refugees |date=2010-08-24 }} Standpoint, July–August 2010 and The Guardian ’s Comment is free website.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/aug/06/israel-eviction-palestinian-east-jerusalem |location=London |work=The Guardian |title=Erasing facts from Israel eviction story |first=Rafael |last=Broch |date=2009-08-06}}

Reception

Prize-winning British journalist Melanie Phillips called Just Journalism "a very welcome and desperately-needed initiative", and stated: "This is the first organisation in Britain set up to monitor and analyse media coverage of the Middle East on a systematic, forensic and objective basis. Its notable characteristic is the transparency of its methodology, so that everyone can judge both the material under scrutiny and the way JJ is conducting that scrutiny."[http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/583456/just-journalism.thtml Just Journalism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416235131/http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/583456/just-journalism.thtml |date=2009-04-16 }}, Spectator 31-03-2008

Sharif Nashashibi, founder of Arab Media Watch, has criticized the organisation in The Guardian, following an analysis[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/mar/01/israeli-elections-2009-gaza "Taking exception to making exceptions"] Elizabeth Jay, The Guardian, 1 March 2009 of British media coverage of the 2009 Israeli election by Just Journalism's chief executive Elizabeth Jay. Nashashibi said that Jay had failed to meet the organisation's declared aims of promoting accurate reporting by "cherry picking quotes" and highlighting "only those alleged omissions and misrepresentations that negatively impact on Israel".{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/mar/05/israel-palestinian-territories-media|title=Just Journalism? It's anything but|last=Nashashibi|first=Sharif|date=2009-03-06|publisher=guardian.co.uk|accessdate=2009-05-18 | location=London}}

In 2008, Just Journalism's Director Adel Darwish and board member Nick Cohen resigned from their positions, citing disagreements with the organisation's chair and founder{{who?|date=January 2014}}, on the issue of neutrality."Neutrality was very much at the heart of the dispute between myself and the chairwoman of the board (the lady who founded the organisation) as I insisted on neutrality from the start. I wanted the organisation to develop [and] deal with news coverage of the Middle East in general, and become a source of information and a think tank for the media dealing with the Middle East.

Therefore when the lady holding the purse of the organisation and I had different agenda and different aims, I resigned as from 31 December 2008. Also, for the same reason, respected columnist Nick Cohen, whom I [had] persuaded to join the Advisory Board, has also resigned, along with Dr Tarek Heggy, a very prominent Egyptian born international thinker." [http://www.adeldarwish.com/?p=34 AdelDarwish.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707083202/http://www.adeldarwish.com/?p=34 |date=2011-07-07 }}, 10 March 2009 Just Journalism's media analyst, Chris Lawes, an Oxford University graduate, is now Campaigns Officer for the Zionist Federation in London.{{cn|date=February 2020}}

Principals

=Advisory board=

Among the members of the group's Advisory Board, according to its website, have been:[http://justjournalism.com/advisory-board/ Advisory Board], Just Journalism website 2010