Pot, if you look closer, that kettle is actually hunter green

Being a Jewish journalist is hard work! After a couple of semesters at San Jose State in the journalism department, I find myself in an awkward and full-time position of “inhouse critic” of the Spartan Daily, in a program where the credo is: if you aren't anti-Bush, you must be evil. Last semester I was challenged with two student editors at the Daily who weren't with Israel in any stretch of the imagination. They said and did some things that baffled me as a journalist. But after a few lost battles, I thought it best to lay down my sword and shield and move on with my life.
Alas, here I am again. This semester has barely begun and already I am considering bringing the armor back out of the closet, this time to quell the anti-Israel sentiment among faculty. Well, one to be exact. John McManus.
He teaches global communication to a room full of young and impressionable minds. It all started when he invited the Washington bureau chief of the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, Yaron Deckel, to speak in his class about a different perspective of journalism. Little did the journalist know, he was walking into a lion's den. The professor and one or two of the students posed provocative questions about the “illegal security fence” and at one point McManus asked if Israel was illegally occupying Palestine.
The journalist, incredulous, answered, “I'm just asking, what's the best headline. I'm not trying to solve the conflict in the Middle East.”
The class laughed and the professor stopped trying to turn the lecture into a political brawl.
When I wrote both the preview and review article on the lecture, I took notes and submitted the articles to my then-managing editor, who was also present at the event. 'Nuff said.
A few weeks ago, an e-mail was leaked to me from this meshugenah professor in response to an offer by Hillel and the Israeli embassy to send speakers to the guest lecture to journalism students. He replied in an e-mail to the journalism faculty and staff:

“In the spring term I invited an Israeli journalist made available in a similar way -- through the Israeli embassy. I asked him to address a series of questions about global communication -- the topic of the class. He didn't discuss a single one. Instead, he turned the class into a propaganda session trying to persuade the students that Israel is unfairly treated in the U.S. press. That might have been a useful discussion were it based on data, but it wasn't. Several students found it offensive. And, of course, it was totally one-sided.”

To me, this response is completely counter-intuitive to objective journalism. To paraphrase the journalist who spoke: you bring the news, pleasant or otherwise. McManus is clearly reacting because he didn't like what he heard.
Ironically, McManus also guest lectures in other journalism classes. He came to speak in one of my classes well before this whole affair. He went on and on about oil, George W. Bush, and, of course, how Israel is responsible for a war. (Mel, looks like you have a friend?) I came to the same conclusion about him that he did about the journalist:
“In the spring term my teacher invited Professor John McManus. He was asked to address a series of questions about his failing website that attempts to be a watchdog on the media-- one of the topics of the class. He didn't discuss a single one. Instead, he turned the class into a propaganda session trying to persuade the students that Israel is the reason for the Iraq War. That might have been a useful discussion were it based on data, but it wasn't. Several students found it offensive. And, of course, it was totally one-sided.”
Looks like I'll have a few dents in the old shield and helmet by the time I graduate (if I haven't sabotaged my academic career but taking a professor head-on), but who will fill the post if I didn't?

A brief but cold shoulder

And here is an excerpt the chilly albeit diplomatic response: (You're thinking, this girl must be committing academic suicide by posting this! But what is journalism if not getting issues out into the open?)

"We have no agenda of inviting or dis-inviting anyone or the spokesperson from any cause."

I'd like to discuss it first with people in journalism and in the JMC first, because last time I tried to have an opinion and wrote about it, I was told not to bring internal e-mails into the blogosphere. Expect an opinion on the matter in a few days.

Oh G-d, here she goes again!

I have been told this took a lot of chutzpah to dispute the actions and words of SJSU journalism professor John McManus by offering this e-mail to the head of the Jourmaism and Mass Communications school, along with the faculty and some members of the community.

I hope it is not hopeless to stand up for the injustices we see in the world, no matter how small, large or futile they seem.

In an e-mail dated Aug. 21, 2006, I wrote:

Dear Dr. Briggs:

I was taken aback when I read the e-mail John McManus sent to the JMC faculty concerning the Israeli journalist that guest-lectured in his class last spring. I respectfully disagree with his plea not to feature any other speakers offered by the Israeli Embassy. As a journalism student, given the tense times in the Middle East and the pressing need to get as many views as possible, I think future reporters would benefit greatly from hearing speakers that offer a different analysis.

I covered the discussion for the Spartan Daily, both as a preview before the event and a review afterward. I felt the journalist was professional and did cover the issues he was asked to cover. I discussed with McManus what he hoped to get out of the guest and I also spoke with the journalist on what he was going to talk about. According to my notes and my recollection, McManus said he wanted to bring a different perspective of journalism to the class and cover communication flows and how American media affects foreign media. (See "Journalist to discuss terrorism, Israeli elections" in the Spartan Daily archives, 4/27/06)

Deckel, the journalist, told me he was going to hold a discussion with the students on how to cover different types of events and issues, such as terrorism, Israeli elections and how U.S. issues are presented in Israeli media.

According to McManus, "he turned the class into a propaganda session trying to persuade the students that Israel is unfairly treated in the U.S. press."

This is very different from my conclusion, based on my own opinion and by talking with students after the lecture. Deckel held a very interactive discussion, asking students to come up with headlines for different situations and talking about the differences between an American and Israeli audience.

McManus stated in his e-mail that he asked the journalist to "address a series of questions about global communication," and that he "didn't discuss a single one," but according to my notes and recollection, he covered many of issues, including how American events are viewed in Israel, among other issues related to journalism and global communication.

At one point, when the speaker asked if there were any questions, McManus tried to get Deckel to answer political questions. He asked for Deckel's opinion on hot-button issues, such as the security fence. McManus asked something along the lines of: Isn't Israel illegally occupying Palestine? The journalist did not to get into a political discussion with McManus, and said, "I'm just asking, what's the best headline. I'm not trying to solve the conflict in the Middle East." Please see "Israeli journalist questions how Middle East news should be covered," Apr. 28, in the Spartan Daily archives online for more on what was discussed.

Additionally, I would like to add that when McManus was invited to speak in Stephen Greene's class on Apr. 19 on the topic of GradeTheNews.org and discuss evaluating different Bay Area news sources. Based on my notes and my recollection, McManus used almost half of the time to share his own political views. He made political commentary on the Iraq War, stating that it was to protect Israel, get back at Saddam Hussein and protect oil interests. Among his most interesting comments, he said if each journalist went by a code of ethics, like he should, "You'd be fair; if there's a controversy, you'd get both sides."

I am offended by McManus's e-mail as a journalism student and a working journalist. I find his words counterintuitive to being an objective journalist. I am available to discuss this further, please contact me at *** or by e-mail. I have CC'd Carmen Sigler, as I feel strongly that McManus's e-mail is wrongly accusing a respectable journalist of being unprofessional. I am also offering this correspondence as a rebuttal to his plea to JMC faculty to exclude speakers offered by the Israeli Embassy or other Jewish sources, so that journalism students can be exposed to all sides in any issue.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to a variety of guest lecturers this fall.

Sincerely,
Laura Rheinheimer

Links to Daily articles: Journalist to discuss terrorism, Israeli elections
Israeli journalist questions how Middle East news should be covered

*some alterations were made from the original e-mail to conceal personal information and correct grammar

Original e-mail

Here are words from the original McManus e-mail to the journalism faculty, which was in response to a list of speakers from Jewish sources made available to the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

"In the spring term I invited an Israeli journalist made available in a similar way -- through the Israeli embassy. I asked him to address a series of questions about global communication -- the topic of the class. He didn't discuss a single one. Instead, he turned the class into a propaganda session trying to persuade the students that Israel is unfairly treated in the U.S. press. That might have been a useful discussion were it based on data, but it wasn't. Several students found it offensive. And, of course, it was totally one-sided."