anti-Arab bias in the American media? Naaaay!
Marty Peretz, the publisher of the New Republic, says he doesn't care if he loses readers because of his "pro-Zionist stance." But what Peretz recently really said in an interview with Haaretz, an English language newspaper in Israel, is that he is a bigot and a racist and that he will not publish the views of Arabs, Muslims, Palestinians or anyone who criticizes Israel and says something nice about the Palestinians.
The interview is in Haaretz at:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/953302.html
Some people will point to Peretz racist hatred as extreme politics. But isn't racist hatred really just a form of extremist politics when you stereotype an entire people and make racial judgments based on broad strokes of disagreement and a rejection of tolerance?
Others will argue that Peretz is just one exception and that the mainstream American news media is open and fair to Arabs and Muslims. Well, they are fair to Muslims when the Muslims are non-Arabs; and they often hire Muslims (non-Arab Muslims) as reporters, showcasing them as their "diversity poster children" when faced with charges of bias.
But Peretz is just being honest about his hatred and bias. The fact that he has come out of the glass closet to openly declare that he will not permit pro-Arab views to be published in his biased, racist publication doesn't suggest he is alone. It suggests that he is probably just the tip of the iceberg. Most mainstream journalists and editors pretend they are not biased because of their desire to appear professional. You see, if the media pretends it is objective, they can pretend they are not biased. Since they rarely give voice to groups like Palesitnians and Arab Muslims, those voices of complaints are never heard.
Groups like UNITY: Journalists of Color that are supposed to champion diversity, don't hold the feet of the biased media to the fire. In part because UNITY members are squeezed around a small table (Hispanics, Asians, Blacks and Native Americans) so tightly there is no room for anyone else. And you won't see them, unless they yell. We have to bring attention to this bias and we have to challenge the editors at the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times where anti-Arab bias is taken for granted and so ingrained that they are in denial.
I admire Peretz for separating himself from the cowardly bigots who are afraid to openly admit their journalistic failings. Peretz reminds me of the 1950s when racism and hatred was open and upfront. I prefer hatred from someone who hates me and doesn't try to hide it. They may be bigots but at least they are not bigots and hypocrites. These days, though, racists have learned that they have have their racist cakes and eat it too, by simply pretending to not be biased. They just don't say it. They don't acknowledge it. But they do act it.
I salute you Marty Peretz, although I haven't read your lousy magazine since the scandal involving that reporter, Glass, who made up half of your magazine's front page features. Hey, but hatred and racism is nothing compared to being caught making up stories.
Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com