The New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists (NJ SPJ) is hosting a webinar on “How to Avoid Bias in Middle East Reporting,” featuring the executive director of HonestReporting.com, an organization widely criticized for its aggressive campaigns against media coverage it perceives as being anti-Israel. The workshop, slated for Sunday, Sept. 22, has drawn sharp criticism from journalists and media advocates who argue that the choice of speaker undermines the very principles of impartial reporting.

“Honest Reporting is in no way qualified to give a session on this topic,” said Laila Al-Arian, executive producer for Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines and an investigative reporter. “They are extremely biased and have been implicated in smear campaigns against Palestinian journalists in Gaza.”

Honest Reporting’s website states that its mission is “to ensure truth, integrity and fairness, and to combat ideological prejudice in journalism and the media, as it impacts Israel.” Last November, the group publicly questioned whether Palestinian journalists who documented the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in Israel had been tipped off in advance, leading to two Israeli politicians calling for journalists to be killed.

Over 160 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza over the past year, making it one of the deadliest conflicts for media personnel. Reporters emphasized to Prism that the event is counterproductive to the goal of reducing bias in reporting, and further puts reporters in harm’s way.

“Their main objective is to undermine and discredit journalists who report on the suffering of Palestinians,” said Al-Arian, drawing parallels to the tactics used during the McCarthy era. “It’s quite the opposite of avoiding bias.”

The NJ SPJ web page announcing the event states that Honest Reporting provides resources for journalists to learn about the Middle East “from an Israeli perspective.”

Al-Arian referenced the historical tendency of many media outlets to report favorably on Israeli actions while neglecting Palestinian perspectives. In light of the criticism, the NJ SPJ’s choice has raised questions about the organization’s commitment to journalistic integrity. Many in the field are urging the SPJ to reconsider the event and are calling for greater solidarity with journalists working in conflict zones, particularly those in Gaza who face extreme risks. At least five journalists were directly targeted by Israel, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The nonprofit classifies these killings as murders and war crimes, since journalists are civilians and targeting civilians is a war crime.

“We need to reach out to the NJ SPJ and demand that they cancel this event,” said Al-Arian. “HonestReporting should not set the agenda for how journalists do their jobs.”

SPJ NJ President P. Kenneth Burns told Prism that the event was proposed by Secretary Steve Lubetkin, who Burns says is pro-Israel. Burns said he was not familiar with Honest Reporting, and immediately realized it was “pretty one-sided.” Upon realizing this, Burns said he decided to make the event a series to include a Palestinian perspective. There are no specific plans of who they will bring in or when that second event will be held.

“I want to make it clear this is not a one and done,” Burns said. “I hated the title, but the more I thought about it, it makes sense, because in the grand scheme of things, international reporting from American outlets is not the same as 20 years ago.”

With American newsrooms investing significantly less in outposts around the world, Burns said coverage is now less informed.

“I think it’s fair to say that Steve is pro-Israel, and at the same time, I couldn’t deny his point, because I’ve long had the same point that we don’t really do justice to world news in America,” Burns said. “So even though the idea came from him, I’m making it a journalism event, because at the end of the day, we as journalists need to know who are the most significant voices in the room, for better or for worse.”

According to Burns, the SPJ NJ board held a meeting Wednesday night to vote on whether or not to postpone the Honest Reporting event, but cancellation was never on the table, despite calls for the group to cancel the talk. Board members voted 5-3 in favor of going forward with the event this Sunday.

Burns said he has been told about the alleged harm Gil Hoffman, the invited speaker, has perpetuated for Palestinian reporters.

“For me, that makes me want to put this guy on in public to ask him, ‘Hey, what’s your deal? I know you might not agree with their politics, but they’re still journalists. Why are you putting fellow journalists, my colleagues, in harm’s way?’” said Burns. “It comes down to saying I’d rather know the bigot in front of me as opposed to the bigot behind closed doors.”  

An Arab-American reporter, who has requested to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, expressed deep concerns regarding the workshop. The reporter highlighted their surprise at the NJ SPJ’s decision to collaborate with an organization known for its contentious history with media professionals. 

“I was shocked because of who this organization is and their previous actions, which seem to cross ethical lines,” they said. 

The journalist, an experienced reporter, noted that while they have not personally faced targeting from Honest Reporting, they are aware of the organization’s campaigns against other reporters perceived to be biased against Israel. 

“They have endangered journalists by labeling Palestinian reporters as terrorists or sympathizers,” the journalist said, emphasizing the potential consequences of such narratives on journalists’ safety.

Honest Reporting, a registered charity, regularly publishes pieces targeting specific journalists, often Arabs, Muslims, or people of color, for what it argues is biased, anti-Israel reporting. Its website features email templates readers can use to send complaints about these journalists to their workplaces. “We recommend that you alter the subject line slightly,” the website states.

Similar groups, also called Honest Reporting, operate in countries such as Canada and the U.K. 

The journalist criticized Honest Reporting’s past actions, specifically its suggestion that major news outlets, including AP and Reuters, had prior knowledge of a Hamas attack. 

“This kind of rhetoric can trigger dangerous consequences for reporters on the ground,” the journalist said. “It would be great to see [NJ SPJ] cancel the event, but at the very least, they should be honest about who this organization is.”

The journalist called for greater transparency from the NJ SPJ regarding the nature of their collaboration with Honest Reporting. As violence in Palestine continues to escalate, the journalist highlighted the importance of supporting journalists during the genocide.

“This is an incredibly tragic time for journalists who are mourning our colleagues,” they said. “We just want to feel like we’re supported, and this doesn’t send that message.”