Tell the Los Angeles Times To Reinstate Staffers Banned From Reporting on Gaza
The LA Times Recently Decided To Prohibit Three Dozen Journalists Who Signed a Letter Condemning Israel From Covering News on Gaza and Israel for Three Months
Despite being the first major U.S. newspaper to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, the LA Times has reportedly imposed a three-month coverage ban on nearly 40 staffers who signed an open letter condemning Israel’s indiscriminate bombing in Gaza and media blockade, claiming those who signed the letter violated the company’s policy by taking a public stance on an issue.
The letter, signed by hundreds of journalists worldwide, demands that Israel end the violence against journalists and lift its widescale suppression of speech. It also called for accountability from Western newsrooms that have largely issued biased reporting and fueled dehumanizing, Islamophobic, and racist rhetoric.
The ban prohibits staffers from being involved in any coverage of Israel and Gaza as well as any relevant domestic issues—including covering antisemitism and Islamophobia in the U.S.
Journalists affected by the ban were disproportionately Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian staffers.
It not only impacts the journalists but also impedes the LA Times’ ability to gather diverse perspectives and insights crucial to responsible news reporting.
On Nov. 29, CAIR-LA sent a letter to LA Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida commending the LA Times for its editorial courage in publishing a call for a ceasefire and expressing disappointment in the newspaper’s decision to block its staffers from covering Israel’s violence in Gaza.
TAKE ACTION
We call on the LA Times to reinstate the staffers who are prohibited from covering Israel’s violence in Gaza and to commit to an open dialogue with staffers and communities affected by the events in Gaza.
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