Now that the election is past I'd like to organize a group of people to react to the position of the Jewish Exponent the last few months. The Jewish Exponent is the voice of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia which "strives to connect ALL members of our community".
Through the consistently right-wing editorials Jonathan Tobin, and by accepting blatantly false and misleading political advertisements, the Jewish Exponent did not represent the position of the vast majority of the Philadelphia Jewish community.
In the past I have subscribed to the Exponent and given to the Federation. I'm considering writing to the Federation to this effect, and suggesting that if they reprimand the editor and set in place policies to keep the newspaper bipartisan or nonpartisan, then I will continue to support them.
For example, I intend to make a substantial donation in January. However, if this has not been accomplished then I will instead contribute to, or help found, another organization which is committed to the creation of an alternative voice for the Jewish community in Philadelphia.
If we want to know what the right wing thinks about an issue, I can always consult Fox news. The Jewish community in Philadelphia deserves a balanced source of information.
How you can help:
Draft letter: Version 2, December 6, 2004Recipients
Dear Sir or Madam, As active members of the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community and supporters of our Jewish Federation, we are writing to express our concern about The Jewish Exponent.Although The Jewish Exponent is the voice of Federation which appropriately "strives to connect all members of our community," The Jewish Exponent has failed to live up to this standard. The editorials of Jonathan Tobin and others have a decidedly right wing bias and present national news in a way that does not represent the positions of the vast majority of the Philadelphia Jewish community. Indeed, exit polls suggest that nationwide 75% of the Jewish community voted for Senator Kerry. We do not object to individuals and organizations making their own political statements in their own name. That is part of the American ideal of Freedom of Speech. However, we do object to a group appropriating the voice of the Philadelphia Jewish community to advance its own political agenda. Furthermore, The Jewish Exponent has shown poor judgment and raised ethical issues by accepting false and/or misleading political advertisements. This matter affects the entire Delaware Valley Jewish community and we respectfully request the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Jewish Federation so that we can have a full exchange of views. Our goal is to see a Jewish Exponent that is truly non-partisan and that truly reflects the diversity within our community. Surely Mr. Tobin and his associates have a strong enough belief in their views that they would not be afraid to see other opinions printed. We will meet to discuss future actions on Sunday, January 2, 2005 at 7pm at 276 Barwynne Lane, in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. On behalf of our group, we invite you or your representatives to join us on that occasion. You can reach us at ExponentWatch@LoebTree.Com. We look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully yours, Hand Signed by Participants (list to be confirmed when language is finalized):
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