Journalism involves truth, truth can be relative, sides are thus taken and morality is then measured. Journalistic integrity involves openness to multiplicity and a willingness to engage perspective, whatever those perspectives may be. At times, when standing across the deep and cavernous valley of relativity, one person’s truth may seem like another’s lie, but as difficult as it may be, both sides must be addressed - both regions of truth must be heard. It is only then all concerned can arrive at their own conclusions and the freedom to release and thus add to our wide and wonderful world’s library of multiplicity can be employed. For RELATIVITY OnLine’s David Anthony Hohol, this is how things all come together and this is where the battle lines are drawn.
This past summer, I was offered the position of staff writer by an up and coming political website, donklephant.com. Named after the age-old symbols of the American two-party system, the Republican Elephant and the Democratic Donkey, the site professed itself to be the moderate middle representation of the dual-natured political landscape of the United States.
I was invited on board and given the unofficial title of Middle Eastern correspondent. Site editor and founder, Justin Gardner, an early 30s University of Missouri graduate and self professed Democratic blogger, extended me the invitation with enthusiasm. The process involved several emails and links to several of my editorials from RELATIVTY OnLine. He asked me to provide a genuine and “insider’s perspective” of the Arab World and touted my arrival as a contributor even before my first post:
David Anthony Hohol of RELATIVTY OnLine has lived in Dubai the last six years and during that time has also spent time in Syria, Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Sudan. He’ll be giving us an insider’s perspective on issues facing the Middle East and beyond.
I looked forward to getting started and upon receiving “the keys” to his WordPress posted four blogs. The next day I was fired.
The post that led Gardner to kick me out the front door was one that cited the Israeli action in Palestine as “ethnic cleansing” and Arab World perspective of Israel as being “scheming thieves”. The subject line in my pink slip of an email message was “Scheming Thieves?” Below comes from Gardner’s message the following day.
I’m not sure what was unclear from my invitation to the site… Donklephant is about balanced coverage, not blatant advocacy.
Given that, I think it’s best we just called it a day on this partnership and left it at that. I simply can’t risk the integrity of the site.
There’s no question, Gardner’s brief and very quick reaction caught me off guard. The term ethnic cleansing was something I’d seen used several times over in publications all over the world. That very week, Time magazine used the phrase to describe how “much of the world” thinks of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. And his distaste of my stating that the Arab World perspective of Israel is that of thieves who are plotting to take Palestine away from the Palestinians was even more unexpected. I mean, this is exactly what they think and believe me, Arabs describe Israelis in far more colorful terms than scheming thieves. “What does this guy expect? Didn’t he read anything from RELATIVITY OnLine or was he desperately trying to add writers without getting to know their perspective?” I asked myself.
With a jab thrown my way, I thought it only fair I throw one of my own to even things up. Below was my response:
Hello Justin,
I must say that I am quite surprised by your reaction…. You wanted me to write about the Arab perspective (review your own description of me as an upcoming writer) and that was what I did.
My words in the article were “many in the region” (i.e. the Middle East) look at the Israelis as “scheming thieves”. That is the side, the perspective, the opinion, that offers the balanced coverage you say you want.
Balance is about both sides, not one side being free to say what they want and the other being forced to be politically correct. And when you then say, “Okay, I don’t want you to write anything at all anymore,” it makes me wonder why you even invited someone to offer you the Arab perspective in the first place. By telling me, a secular Canadian, that you don’t want me or my stories about the REAL Arab perspective on your site after asking me to do so, is COMPLETELY inappropriate and that, Justin, is where the integrity you say are trying to protect is lost.
Best of luck.
With that, I thought we each could move on in our own directions. But Gardner could not accept each of us having our own say. He wanted more. Below was his response.
David,
Actually, I said you’d be giving us an insider’s perspective, not a one-sided Arab perspective that accuses a Zionist Israel of ethic cleansing. I mean COME ON. How would you ever think that’s appropriate to post…?
What’s more… if you, as a writer for this site, use the words “scheming thieves” and then link those words back to an editorial written by you where you call the state of Israel a terrorist state, well, guess what…that makes it seems as if Donklephant is endorsing that view.
And yes, balance is about both sides. That’s why I invited you. Because I thought you were going to offer a perspective that took a look at the situation colored by more of the realities of a foreigner living in the Middle East. I can tell you that it (my post) has absolutely no integrity on the site. Think of that what you will.
And so, I once felt it only fair to even things up, and respond:
Hello Justin,
I recently posted an article about the Burka and was thinking of your last email. In the end, I guess I couldn’t resist replying to you.
It may be a rhetorical question, but when I asked you to read over my editorials so as to get a better perspective on my writing style… did you even read one article form beginning to end? If you had you would have seen where I come from and what transpired could have been avoided. You would not have wasted my time… or yours for that matter. It was unprofessional on your part not to know who it is you invite to write for you. Perhaps now you’ve learned your lesson and will be more thorough in the future.
Saying you wanted an “insider’s perspective” as opposed to a “perspective of the region” is just semantics, by the way. That phrase could be defined any number of ways. At NO TIME did you ask me for a foreigner’s viewpoint, as opposed to the Arab perspective.
Further still, calling what I wrote a “one-sided Arab perspective” is flat out wrong and prejudiced. There are many in the international community, not Arab, and not even Muslim, who hold these views. I mean COME ON, you must know this.
And this point I went on a bit of a citation rant, linking articles, news stories and even Jewish groups that hold a similiar view. I included everything from a Pulitzer Prize winning writer Chris Hedges to a story on 60 minutes. I even quoted a passage from the aforementioned Time Magazine article from July of 2009:
“And yet to much of the world, the Katzes (a family of West Bank Israeli settlers) are participating in illegal land grabs forbidden by the Geneva conventions, which do not allow an occupying power (like Israel) from settling its own civilians on militarily controlled land.”
I ended my response with the following:
The world media as a whole is shifting. You can join the fearful herd and be a follower Justin; some are better suited to do so than others. But I will join the others in the distance and lead. Being against Israeli actions in Palestine, calling them bullies… is NOT anti-Judaism. This is a manipulative lie whose shelf life is finally and thankfully reading its end. Think of that what you will.
Best Regards
Gardner once again could not simply allow each of us to have our say. He craved the last word, he needed to be one up on me, and so he let loose one more long email. In it he disputed every source or citation as isalotory or radical, even claiming the Time Magazine article was representing only one Jewish family (when the article was about the inhibiting process of Israeli settlements). I thought about evening things up one more time, but decided to just leave it. A couple of months later, the idea to write about the experience crept into my head and here we are.
I concluded my evening of writing this piece by returning to the About Us section of RELATIVITY OnLine. I read it though once more and afterwards closed my laptop for another day. A sense of purpose soon rolled through me. It also seems to be the best way to finish this discussion:
RELATVIVTY OnLine seeks to promote global citizenry through the respect, awareness, and recognition of individual perspective. Specificity over stereotypes, tolerance over dogmatism, and justice over bigotry- RELATIVITY is about the deconstruction of ethnocentrism, and its dangerous tendency to compartmentalize and diminish. There are many paths and not only one, and the values and beliefs of any single culture will never be universal.
RELATIVITY seeks to expose the bias nature of the media and the socially programmable disposition of cultures the world over. From the earliest ages, populations across the globe are conditioned into believing news coverage is both objective and factual; that television and film are agents of truth. The reality is our hard drives are bombarded with massive uploads of over-simplified, dogmatic, prejudiced information on a near daily basis. We are systematically programmed to believe what we believe and all too often, leave the act of discovery for others. The truth is found when it is sought, lies will die when they are exposed, and the beauty of freedom is often born from slavery.
Today the world is smaller than it has been at any point in human history. An international Culture War has begun and victory will come only through hope, tolerance, and understanding. RELATIVITY OnLine will stand at the front lines and we hope that you will join us.
And so the battle rages on…
Loading ...
Regardless of what side one is on, for this Gardner guy to refuse any further stuff from you because of what you wrote shows you how much fear people have of saying anything against Israel. I mean, real honest to goodness fear. Ethnic cleansing is a term Ive heard many times over in terms of the Israeli action. If not ethnic cleasning, then how about aparthied? Whatever you want to call it, it’s wrong.
Palestinians insist on engaging Israel with weapons, firing their dinky little rockets, again and again, that do almost nothing anyway, until the Israeli Elephant has had enough and wipes out a 1000 of them. One question, what the hell are they thinking???? Palestinians like Hamas appear to much of the world as being too block headed to realize they dont have a military, and thus there will NEVER be a military solution to their problem. Those idiots firing their rockets must take at least some responsibility for the deaths in Gaza. Do I think there is ethnic cleansing going on at the hands of the Israelis? YES! Do I think they are trying to force out people so they can steal and swindle for more land? YES! But Hamas and their rockets only screw their own people into more pain and suffering. End of story.
By they way, getting fired for what you wrote is joke and you dont want to be on a site that’s a joke anyway.
I think this young gentleman, Mr. Gardner, made a mistake. He may not like what you had to say, but it’s your right to say it. It is also his right to print what he wants in his magazine, as it is yours, but in blocking you out he appears to want only one side. I’ve learned a lot about the region you live in David, through this site. One thing I know for sure now, what’s happening in this conflict is truly unfair to the Palestinians. With that said, I agree with the commentor who stated they have stop militant action. Watching the videos, however, and I understand how hard it must be not to. I guess that’s the whole vicious circle in a nutshell.
This Gardner cat for sure didnt read your stuff man! You KNOW if he did he never would have asked you on. The guy needs to pay attention. That and get a real sack. Nuff said.
Great Article that says so much .. Let the world see how Palestinians have to deal with all these years. No one can believe Israeli claims anymore, sorry not after Sabra and Shatella Mascure, the Deir Yassin Masacure, the Ibrahimi Mosque Masacure and ending all these masacures with the latest in Gaza where 1300 Palestinains were killed including hundreds of children. Let the world see who the criminal is… Palestine or Israel??
Stop blaming Hamas or the US or the world and look at your actions? With the advent of the Internet the whole world has eyes and can see and hear both sides.
Israel is always against anything good that could happen to the Palestinians. You need to understand that some people are againist their policies and actions, they are not that victims anymore. They are a killing machine and the whole world knows.
Palestinians have to take more control of their destiny. Yes Hamas is not the cause, but they are part of the problem and as the others have alreasy said, they only makes things worse for thier own people!! That said, Israel is scheming all they time to take more land and push people out. Anyone who thinks such statements dont have integrity, have none themsleves.
Checked out donklephant. A solid site but nothing that you can find on a thousand other sites. You got something very orginal going on here at RELATIVTY. Keep up the good work.
Im not a very politcal person and dont pretend to know much, but one thing I do know is that there is no excuse for hundreds of dead children. The Gaza attack was teh first time I ever really saw what was happening over there and let me tell you, there aren’t many people who accepted Israel’s actions. Anyone who wants to censor what people think about this issue from their organization is hard for me to understand. I dont care what words are used, what Israel did in Gaza was heartless and wrong.
Like the above comment what happened last year in Gaza was the first time I’d seen how cruel the Israelis can be and afterward understood the hatred Palestinians have for them. I’d never seen celebrities and news broadcasts so clearly side with Palestine before, and in the aftermath many have accused Israel of war crimes. The side you presented in your story was real and any real news organization should include it.
Palestinians are suffering everyday and deserve their own country. Israel plays dirty pool. Palestinians bring much of their suffering. Israelis take advantage of this. Hamas does more harm than Good. Israel loves Hamas as they provide them with all the excuse for attacks like the one in Gaza. Both sides are stubborn, both sides care less about their people. Apartheid, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, terrorism. Call it whatever you want. Sites censoring this makes no difference.The whole thing is a big mess.
Palestinians behave like terrorists and then wonder why they are treated like terrorists. Israel has the right to defend themselves, don’t they? And yes they have more power, so that should convince groups like Hamas to stop picking fights as this only means death for their people. Hamas responsible for the deaths of those children. And defending oneself is not ethnic cleansing. Kudos to donklephant for not printing that left wing nonsense.
I find it hard to believe the guy would refuse anything more form you if he wasn’t prejudiced to begin with. He could have simply expressed his discomfort with the terminology, but he just slammed the door and appears bias in doing so. If it all played out like you describe, the Gardner guy wants slanted coverage. Do you know if he’s Jewish?
Hey wonder-boy… you’re asking if he’s Jewish? What does that have to do with anything? Are going to open the anti-semite door now? It’s the guy’s right to choose what he wants on his own site, whether you or I or anyone else thinks its right.
Slow down there Twilight (nice name, how old are you? 12?) I ask if someone’s Jewish and I’m being anti-semetic? That’s a big crock of shit and you know it. It’s also part of the problem. As soon as anyone questions Israel and even those who support her and nutjobs out there start accusing you of being racist against the Jews. Those days are over! Get a life!
http://donklephant.com/2009/12/08/editors-note-about-donklephant-transparency-contributors/comment-page-1/#comment-586059
I checked out the link above and Gardner has printed out the entire email thread. Not sure why as what you have above tells the story. You think the Israelis are ethnically cleansing Palestinians from their homeland and reported that the Middle East sees them as scheming thieves. He either doesn’t think that, or does and thinks your caustic and direct approach too too hard-edged for his site.
I guess it is his right to put up what he wants, but he made a mistake is not printing it. If he didn’t like it, he could have told you so and taken things from there. Instead he never gave you or even his own readers a chance to respond and simply deleted a point of view that many people indeed see as the truth. This is where Gardner shows plain and simple fear and little else. This fear is also represented by the fact he not only deleted the article, but deleted the idea of you ever contributing ever again based on one opinionated editorial. That’s too much too soon and too fearful a response.
It doesn’t matter what side of the debate one is on your own, at the end, Gardner squashed an open forum of debate. The article goes up, everyone calls it trash, he takes it down. Or the article goes up and a forum of discussion follows about a sensitive, passion filled and difficult topic of global importance; something that will always be fruitful. It was poor call by a young editor who I’m sure has learned and is learning from the experience. I give him credit for his response to the above piece.
I challenge anyone to watch the 60 minutes story below this post and then tell me that what’s happening in Palestine is not ethnic cleansing. And to anyone who wants to immediately throw out anyone who thinks this way is clearly bias. Was Hohol hard and crass? Yes.. but so what? What does Gardner think he is running? A political blog or diplomatic fluff? Let people decide for themselves, that’s called democracy.
Here are some responses from Gardner’s own readers, including one from the original post he deleted:
Jimmy the Dhimmi Says:
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Not only did that contributor represent the views of a significant number of Americans, it was representitive of nearly the entire Islamic world. Why supress it? This blog has an excellent repultation for providing a wide spectra of political views. Nobody will hold it against Donklephant, especially when you saw MW spring up almost instanlty to rebut it.
Terry Says:
December 8th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
…he wasn’t vetted correctly. If that’s your only fault so be it. I appreciate you trying to find perspectives like these – I really want to hear an inside middle-eastern perspective. But I want someone who is more Sufi and less Iran.
gerryf Says:
December 8th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
The problem with Hohol, and it is a problem he still fails to understand as is apparant after reading his posts over at RelativityOnline, is not that his view has no relevence to we of the western mindset, but that he lacks subtlty in conveying his point so it can be viewed as anything but inflamatory rhetoric.
Buried within his posts is something we in the west ought to read and understand–the middle east perception of the west and the western world’s perception of the middle east is horribly skewed. We (meaning both sides) will never come to an understanding with such a chasm of misunderstanding between us.
But one does not bridge that gap by walking into someone’s living room, dropping one’s drawers, and displaying one’s penis on the coffee table. It is somewhat ironic that Hohol seems to view himself as a thinking man’s introduction to middle eastern perception, yet presents himself so carelessly.
There were/are ideas there, but without subtle, restraint and grace, they are lost in the crass delivery.
More of Gardner’s readers not really supporting him whole heartedly:
kranky kritter Says:
December 9th, 2009 at 12:29 am
I can’t judge the original piece because your link does not work for me. But I will say this…once you get outside of the avid progressive left, you can’t find too many people who don’t have a cow if you say anything bad about Israel.
It’s not nice to call Israel scheming thieves. And it plays into anti-semitic stereotypes. I get that. But Israel’s longstanding policy of growing its crop of “facts on the ground” via settlements IMO basically fits that description. Settlements were in fact Arial Sharon’s scheme or plan, and they’re not supposed to be doing it. So I guess I’m saying that I’d be more troubled by this “inflammatory rhetoric” if it were less defensible.
My perspective tends to veer farther than you towards the notion that the cure for ignorant free speech is more free speech. Comments work as feedback, so this guy could have gotten an education from the comments or voted himself off the island as it were.
If you ever have someone new that you want vetted, why not ask the regulars to check him or her out? Also, don’t forget that if you really acted as an editor, you would actually, you know, edit the pieces. That’s how an info enterprise maintains a desired editorial tone.
michael reynolds Says:
December 9th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Despite the goyish name I’m an ethnic (secular) Jew and a strong supporter of Israel. But I don’t really have much of a problem with “Scheming thieves.” The Likudniks are scheming thieves. So I don’t quite see why it’s so terrible to say so.
It’s not anti-semitism to disagree with the Israeli government on settlements. Quite a portion of the Israeli public loudly disagrees with them. There are times when the delicate handling of Israel becomes a case of the soft bigotry of low expectations.
I rather prefer clearly-stated opinions, even when I don’t agree with them. And I like the occasional rhetorical flourish — keeps things fun and interesting. In fact I’d read Donklephant more often if it was a little less reserved.
Nick Benjamin Says:
December 9th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
@mw:
Justin’s never going to kick you off Donklephant. He’ll just email Putin claiming you criticized Joseph Stalin. And then act real surprised when you die of radiation poisoning.
As for the original posts I agreed with most of what they said, but it rapidly devolved into the kind of partisan flame-fest we try to avoid here.
Hohol was using what Preacher’s call the “Prophetic Voice.” He painted a truly extreme picture of what the Israelis were doing to make a point: they aren’t the perfect democrats they claim to be. It’s a perfectly valid rhetorical technique. But it is intended to provoke heated debate.
Donklephant is just not the place for heated debate.
Bumble Bee – To be fair I should point out to readers you have clipped some of these comments. Also, for those of you who take the time to visit Gardner on his own turf (and I hope you do) you will see there were those who supported his decision.
I will say this, however. Beacause I was dismissed by Gardner so quickly, I was a little surprised; surprised at the fact that most of his readers seemed to agree the post should not have been simply deleted and that even though I was too blunt, harsh, crass etc – I was speaking a truth, once again revealing the multiplicity of perspective, even to someone in his own back yard…
Thanks to everyone for their comments and keep up the good fight.
I totally missed this exchange so I will not add a great deal since the conversation appears to be done. My little piece of offering here is a personal experience. Quick story: I attended vigil this year in my Province for those experiencing the most recent Gaza conflict and I was told NOT to highlight this activity in the workplace because Jews may be offended. I was disgusted on many levels but chiefly because I could safely presume that announcing my attendance to a Jewish related activity would not be discouraged. It makes me deeply sad and the only sense of control I have over the situation is to educate (and I don’t know shit).
On the topic of freedom of speech – we have a great deal of it. But if it has little practical effect on reality, then it’s not really freedom of speech. To quote John Ralston Saul: “Without utility, speech is just decorative”.
With virtually the entire world now referring to Israel using the terms you did at the time of this article, I wonder if this Gardner fellow has realized the error of his ways.
Only an outlet of the American Media, no matter how small, as they all aspire to be something more… would fired you for these words. Not anywhere else. Period.