jewish@edu

for college students by college s udents

Media Fairness?

T

Program offers both sides, yet uncovers subjectivity in coverage of Israel.

here is a growing trend on college
campuses to vilify and question
Israel and its supporters. It is a
sentiment echoed in classrooms,
in hallways, in student papers and at protests.
Some blame liberal college professors, while
others blame the unstructured environment
that college campuses foster, with student
groups attempting to end "oppression"
wherever they feel they have found it.
The stunning reality, however, is that it is
not just college students, nor just Americans,
who are inadvertently turned against Israel
and the United States. The lack of knowledge
and the truth are missing because the media
has failed to publish unbiased opinions on
both sides.
It was, in part, this motivation that brought
Dr. Mordechai Kedar, professor of Arabic
studies at Bar-Ilan University, an expert
on Israel in the Arab media and a 25-year
veteran of the IDF with a specialty in Arab
political discourse, and Osama Siblani, pub-
lisher of the Arab American News, to Wayne

State University's Law
response was rather
School campus earlier
blunt: "I am an advo-
this semester.
cate ... an activist."
The lecture, "Israel
The discussion,
and the Media," was
led by Finley, turned
co-sponsored by the
to the situation in
Jewish Law Student
Egypt, where the
Association, the
media — and even
Middle East Law
social media —
Student Association
played a significant
and the Wayne State
role in the overthrow
Ryan Fishman and Mikey Skoczylas
University Dean of
of the Mubarak gov-
Opinion
Students Office.
ernment.
The lecture, moderated by Nolan Finley,
Kedar was quick to blame Al-Jazeera, an
editorial page editor of the Detroit News,
Arabic television network that often has him
focused on the depiction of Israel in the Arab
on as a guest during its news program. Kedar
media. This program gave students a rare
believes that the Al-Jazeera-led overthrow
chance to hear both sides of an argument
will lead to a radical regime change that will
often littered with propaganda and half-
likely bring on radical Muslim leadership in
truths.
what will likely be a former ally of America
Siblani proclaimed early on in the dialogue
and Israel.
he felt a need to publish the Arab perspective
Kedar feared that if news stations could
in his paper, and when pushed on the notion
lead a population to overthrow a government,
of journalism and objective reporting, his
then the repercussions could be even worse

for Israel because they tend to only depict
Israelis retaliating for deadly suicide blasts
and shelling, but never showing the initial
aggression.
In the new age of advocacy, as Siblani point-
ed out, one will be hard-pressed to find anyone
that can deliver both sides of the story fairly
and without bolstering one side or the other.
But Siblani was wrong about the respon-
sibility he has as a newspaper publisher to
do just that: to provide space for both view-
points to tell their truths in his publication.
This fundamental failure proffered by activist
newspapers is fueling a rage against Israel
and America, and anti-Semitism and hatred
underwrite it.

Ryan Fishman and Mikey Skoczylas are first-year

law students at Wayne State University Law School;

Fishman received his bachelor's degree from Syracuse

University, where he studied journalism and Middle

Eastern studies. Skoczylas received his bachelor's

degree from Yeshiva University, where he studied

accounting and finance. He is also a CPA.

THE THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW SCHOOL

Hoo. Justice
Salim Joubran

OF THE SUPREME COURT OF ISRAEL

John Nussbaumer, associate dean of Thomas M. Cooley Law School's Auburn Hills campus: Hon. Salim Joubran. Israel Supreme Court Justice: Stephen Greenwald, president of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers;Tim Attalla, attorney for Miller Canfield and
on the Board of Governors of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists.

Cooley Law School hosts the Hon. Justice Salim Joubran of the Supreme Court of Israel.

Cooley Law School was proud to host the Hon. Justice Salim Joubran of the Supreme Court of Israel on May 3, 20 I I. He spoke on the Israeli Judicial

THE THOMAS M.

System and the Role of the Supreme Court. Justice Joubran met with judges, lawyers, legal academics and law students, and other policymakers, as well

COOLEY

as representatives of the Jewish and Arab-American communities during his visit, including Arthur J. Horwitz, publisher of the Detroit Jewish News.

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The American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (AAJLJ) sponsored his visit to the United States with stops in New York,Washington, D.C.,

Chicago and Detroit, from April 25 to May 5, 20 I I.

LAW SCHOOL

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The AAJLJ believes that Justice Joubran's visit afforded a unique opportunity for audiences in the United States to learn more

In cords hozninum
est an'nur legis.
1972

about the important role of the rule of law in Israel, the strength and diversity of its judiciary, and the challenges facing the legal

system, as seen from the viewpoint of the first permanent member of the Supreme Court from the Israeli Arab community.

cooley.edu

Justice Joubran's speech can be found on the Cooley Law School website at cooley.edu .

SCAN HERETO SEE
THE SPEECH

ICG.05 I 1.05 IAD

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May 12 2011