Honest Reporting

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Honest Reporting is a media watchdog group that monitors and reports on what it perceives as anti-Israel bias.[1] It was described by the Guardian as a "pro-Israeli lobby".[1], which in turn is described by Honest Reporting as anti-Israel and pro-Arab.[citation needed]

The organization was founded by Aish HaTorah on the initiative of "4 or 5 of us British university students, kicking ideas around, frustrated and wondering what we could do to help Israel."[2] It originated as a website although it now exists as an independent organization. It is claimed to be the largest organization in the world fighting anti-Israel media bias. "Honest Reporting" scrutinizes news agencies worldwide, and then alerts its 150,000 subscribers to respond to the media directly. "Honest Reporting" has been cited in The New York Times as playing a key role in influencing media coverage of the Mideast conflict.

HonestReporting has been criticised over its' aggressive approach to media reports. In September 2006, HonestReporting issued a Media Critique on the South African newspaper, the Mail&Guardian, for publishing an opinion article by a South African government minister that was critical of Israel. HonestReporting made inaccurate claims [3] about the article and encouraged its' readers to write to the newspaper. The Mail&Guardian received what it called a "barrage of hysterical invective" full of "bigotry and anti-democratic instincts". In its' editorial it labelled HonestReporting as part of "the world’s teeming enemies of intellectual diversity and free expression."

[edit] Management

Rabbi Ephraim Shore is the Israel Director. According to the organization's website, "Ephraim took over the reins of HonestReporting in 2000 after it was founded by a group of students in England and helped it grow to the largest Israel media advocacy group in the world. In late 2001, he organized an Independent USA Board of Directors and established HonestReporting as a registered non-profit (501c3) organization." He is also a co-director of Hasbara Fellowships.

Joe Hyams, the Managing Director, is from Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising (Tel Aviv).

Simon Plosker, Senior Editor, has worked for "a variety of non-profit organizations", including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, BICOM, and NGO Monitor.

Yarden Frankl, Senior Editor, worked for ten years as a senior aide to Congresswoman Nita Lowey of New York and as the Strategic Affairs Lobbyist for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). [4]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links and references

  1. ^ Open Door - The Guardian. 11 September 206
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