Publisher's Notebook

Bigoted Helen Thomas Gets
Free Pass From Free Press

ust saying "Helen Thomas" is enough to provoke
conflicting comments from Jews and Arabs.
The 90-year-old Wayne State University alumna
and journalism icon was far from center stage until last
May, when her eye-popping comments about Jews and Israel
attracted national attention. Leonard Pitts Jr., a Miami-
based syndicated columnist who had
received Wayne State's Helen Thomas
Spirit of Diversity Award a month
before, told his national audience that
getting the Thomas award "feels not
unlike receiving a Kim Jong II award
in the spirit of diplomacy." (Iron-
fisted, confrontational Kim Jong Il is
North Korea's nuclear-bomb-posess-
ing despot.)
The Detroit Free Press, and other
news media, covered the story and
Jews and Muslims volunteering together so Christians can
included the expected differences
be with their families for Christmas. Last year, this Jewish
of opinion between spokespeople from the local Jewish
Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit ini-
and Arab communities about the meaning of Thomas'
words. At the time, Wayne State criticized her opinions but tiative received national attention and kudos. But this year,
the Detroit Free Press chose to inject Helen Thomas into the
remained committed to continuing the Thomas diversity
story, knowing it would create dissonance between Jewish
awards. Arab American communal organizations publicly
and Muslim volunteers. It did.
thanked Wayne State for its support.
Included in the Detroit Free Press story are
Sensing a hot-button issue between the Arab and
direct and indirect quotes that assert Wayne State
Jewish communities that could create juicy quotes
University bowed to pressure from Jews (note: the
anytime it wanted, the Detroit Free Press wasn't done.
quotes don't say "Zionists") to retire the Thomas
With the Dearborn-based Arab American Museum in
award. The cheap veneer of "we're not anti-Jewish,
the final stages of a modest campaign to fund a trib-
just anti-Zionist" that Thomas and her support-
ute to Thomas (totally consistent with the museum's
ers attempt to wear like a shield of righteousness
recognition of other pioneering Arab Americans), the
slipped off, exposing a core of bigotry.
Detroit Free Press packaged quotes it solicited from
At a time when the Detroit Free Press can
organizational spokespeople in the Jewish and Arab
provide leadership and clarity — and offer
communities into a prominently displayed story ...
Helen T homas
constructive suggestions for healing the rift it
with Jews and Arabs at each other again.
knowingly exacerbated between the area's Jewish
So when Thomas mouthed off last month at a
and Arab communities — its own editorial voice
Dearborn event, merely substituting "Zionist" for
remains silent. Was Wayne State right or wrong
"Jew" in an applause-generating rant straight from
in "retiring" the Helen Thomas diversity awards?
the hate-mongering pre-Israel playbook of indus-
If Thomas aimed her verbal venom and nasty,
trialist Henry Ford and radio priest Father Charles
shielded-in-veneer stereotypes at the African
Coughlin, Wayne State University decided it was
American, Latino, Korean or other communities
time to "retire" the Helen Thomas "spirit of diver-
(and earned a standing ovation from her audi-
sity" award. The very same people who thanked the
ence), would the Detroit Free Press condemn it?
Detroit-based university for retaining the award
Condone it? Ignore it? If tea party adherents made
six months earlier suddenly claimed that "Zionist"
alumni and supporters of Wayne State had the uni- Leonard Pitts Jr. the comments attributable to Thomas, would the
Detroit Free Press give them a free pass?
versity in their pockets. The Detroit Free Press was
There's so much work to be done to address
there to both record and provoke.
the economic and human service challenges confronting a
Well-regarded local journalist Jack Lessenberry, writ-
diverse and segregated Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.
ing for Dome magazine, shed a few nostalgic tears for the
The Jewish and Arab communities must play key roles in the
iconic Helen Thomas he remembered ... and felt that cer-
region's revitalization. The Detroit Free Press can help bring
tain groups were abetting her and using her charged words
these communities closer together, instead of continuing to
to further their own political agendas. When contacted by
turn them against each other. But first it must reaffirm the
the Detroit News, Leonard Pitts said, "Talk about [Helen
179-year-old pledge in its masthead to be "on guard" for all,
Thomas] not learning the lesson [in May]. Wayne State
University did the only thing it could have done. It's a shame and that includes the Jewish community.
to see such a storied career end so pathetically"
Recently, the Detroit Free Press wrote a holiday story about Publisher's Notebook on page 6

j

At a time when the Detroit Free
Press can provide leadership and
clarity — and offer constructive
suggestions for healing the rift it
knowingly exacerbated between
the area's Jewish and Arab
communities — its own editorial
voice remains silent.

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January 6 2011

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