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The Role Of A
Jewish Newspaper

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GARY ROSENBLATT

Editor

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VISA

The role of the
Jewish press in
America was the
subject of a forum
at the General
Assembly of the
Council of Jewish
Federations last
month in Cincinnati, and I
was one of three panelists to
discuss the topic.
There were questions on
whether Jewish newspapers
should probe controversy
within the community. When
is it proper? When is it harm-
ful? How does one decide?
Our premise as a Jewish
newspaper is that the better
informed a Jewish commu-
nity, the better and stronger
the Jewish community — in
its sense of itself, its sense of
perspective, and in its criti-
cal decision-making pro-
cesses.
_ That may sound basic to
some, revolutionary to oth-
ers. It is not necessarily the
same goal as, say, the Jew-
ish Federation, whose pri-
mary goal is to build a sense
of community and raise the
funds to service it. There are
times when a Federation, or
other Jewish institution,
would prefer to keep a story
out of the newspaper in
keeping with that goal of
community building. Some-
times, the reasoning goes, it
is better if "they" don't
know.
But we have great faith in
our readers, and feel that the
more they know, the better
off they, and the communi-
ty, will be. If not in the short
term, certainly in the long
term. And it is the job of the
Jewish newspaper to raise
those standards of accep-
tance and awareness incre-
mentally, week by week,
building trust and credibili-
ty along the way.
Should a Jewish newspa-
per's goals be any different
from those of a general
newspaper? The truth is
that the Jewish press in
America historically has
been caught between two
conflicting goals — the jour-
nalist's professional duty to
probe and explain, and the
Jewish leader's goal to care
for one's fellow Jew, look out
for the community and pre-

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covered but ho w it is
vent a shandeh far de goyim,
covered.
a scandal in the eyes of the
And there is still too much
Gentiles.
concern about what the non-
On the one hand, then, the
Jews will think if Jews criti-
duty to expose; on the other
cize Israeli policy, or one an-
hand, the need to protect.
other. Perhaps, in our em-
We do, and always will,
battled mentality, we strive
walk that delicate tightrope,
too mightily to put on a uni-
but the primary dilemma is
ted front. If Jews claim to
of responsibility. How does
speak with but one voice,
one reconcile the ethic of
their viewpoint may be dis-
journalistic honesty with
missed as artificial. And do
the ethic of Jewish respon-
we speak with one voice?
sibility?
So it all comes down to a
How does one write about
sense of balance — between
sensitive issues in a way
reporting the truth and
that encourages the devel-
building morale, between
opment of a well-informed
public discourse and .com-
and sophisticated Jewish
munal responsibility, be-
community without at the
tween serving the needs of
same time confusing people
the community as it per-
who may not have the back-
ceives those needs and serv-
ground or the commitment
ing needs that may not be
to deal with honesty?
widely perceived, that may
even be devalued.
There are so many com-
That is, of course, a diffi-
plex problems we face — So-
cult challenge for a Jewish
viet resettlement, Israeli
journalist, but one that is
policies, the structure of our
welcomed. General journal-
own community — and there
ism can be stimulating, re-
is an abiding need to pro-
warding, educational. It can
mote Jewish loyalty and
even raise sensitive issues of
unity. Yet pursuit of that
personal responsibility. But
need, to the exclusion of all
it cannot offer the same
others, would make cheer-
sense of involvement with
leaders out of journalists.
the destiny of a community.
We dare not sacrifice cre-
The general journalist
dibility for popularity. Jew-
knows that the answer to "if
ish newspapers should be
not me, who?" is "someone
providing readers with the
else." The Jewish journalist
truth; hope or despair they
knows there is no one else.
can find on their own.
And little time, and less
That is why no topic or
money, and often less re-
issue should be off limits to
spect. But with it all comes
a Jewish newspaper, which
the knowledge that he is
should be judged by the ac-
serving a community that
curacy and quality of its re-
deserves, and requires, bet-
porting, not on the fact that
ter. That can make Jewish
it dared choose to write
journalism far more than a
about a controversial topic.
job; that can make of it a
The debate should not be
calling.
over whether an issue is

