Dear Rabbi Lerner,
 
For quite some time, I have been an admirer of your writing and have learned from your valuable insights. I am sure that will continue to be the case.
 
Given the horrendous developments in the Middle East in the past week, after reading the news each day, I looked forward to linking to your analysis on the Tikkun Web site, "End the Suffering in the Middle East." I have read the article and am grateful once again for your wisdom.

Except for two rather important words: "cheerleading journalists."
 
It appears in the first line of that essay and seems so uncharacteristic of your usual careful statement of fact and reasoned analysis. Please note how it is used:

The people of the Middle East are suffering again as militarists on all sides, and cheerleading journalists, send forth missiles, bombs and endless words of self-justification for yet another pointless round of violence between Israel and her neighbors. For those of us who care deeply about human suffering, this most recent episode in irrationality evokes tears of sadness, incredulity at the lack of empathy on all sides, anger at how little anyone seems to have learned from the past, and moments of despair as we once again see the religious and democratic ideals subordinated to the cynical realism of militarism.

What a wonderful statement. Except for "cheerleading journalists," I find your words extremely eloquent during this awful moment in history. They articulate my personal reactions.
 
But what about "cheerleading journalists"?  What journalists are cheering? This strong and awful description of journalists, especially at this crucial beginning point of your essay, is never returned to for explanation. It seems as though you believe it is acceptable to ridicule all journalists who are covering the current conflicts in the Middle East. I deeply regret the possibility that someone as empathetic about circumstances and careful about fact as you are would feel free to ridicule journalists with that wide brush.
 
No single description -- especially not the term "cheerleading" -- is an appropriate description of journalists. Such a term not only ridicules a group of people, it ridicules people -- most of whom are honest seekers of truth -- and, in the current situation, are seeking truth under nearly the worst possible circumstances. I came upon your article a day after I had read numerous stories from the Middle East and had heard a number of journalists interviewed about the conflicts. They were people who were there covering the events firsthand. They were very careful in choosing their words, both in the specifics and in their analysis. They were careful about trying to explain rather than blame. It was clear they had empathy for all affected, not just certain parties. What they didn't say, but that I know to be true -- and surely you do, too -- was that each of them, like most, if not all, of the journalists covering the conflicts there now, every day faces the possibility of injury or death. I cannot imagine anything further from cheerleading than what they are experiencing now, while serving the public interest.
 
Sure, journalists as a group of people vary tremendously in many ways, just as people in other groups do. No single description -- especially not the term "cheerleading" -- is an appropriate description of journalists.  Such a term not only ridicules a group of people, it ridicules people -- most of whom are honest seekers of truth -- and, in the current situation, are seeking truth under nearly the worst possible circumstances. Furthermore, such a description suggests to readers that journalists as a group are to be dismissed, that they have no credibility. Surely you don't believe that, do you?
 
I believe fervently in criticizing journalists and the substance of what we report -- honest, thorough and, especially, specific criticism. It is one thing to single out specific stories, or specific patterns of individual journalists or consistent flaws by individual news organizations. It is quite another thing to paint all journalists with such a mean brush.
 
As you may know, it is difficult to find a more controversial subject of coverage than the Middle East. That has been true for many years. The criticism of coverage has come from Palestinians and their supporters, as well as from Israelis and their supporters -- sometimes for the same stories. Some American news organizations -- perhaps especially NPR and some of its affiliated local stations -- have lost substantial financial support over the years because of strong anger about coverage of the conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians. Often the criticism is justified. Often it is not. Sometimes the criticism comes simply because a given party does not want another party's voice or situation to be heard. Any journalist covering these events knows that it is quite possible that he or she is going to be condemned -- let alone criticized -- no matter how much professional skill and care is put into the search to find the most comprehensive and honest account of what is happening. Not surprisingly, these same fierce criticisms are lodged often against Israeli journalists and against Palestinian journalists.
 
I find your "cheerleading journalists" comment particularly unsettling at this time. In case you don't know, the international community of journalists is taking a very bad hit. We are in the midst of the worst body count in the history of war coverage. By three years into the Iraq War, more journalists had been killed than were killed in all of World War II and during the 10 years of the Vietnam war. I am confident none of the 74 journalists who have died in Iraq were cheerleading before or as they died. Nor are the journalists who are struggling now to report in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. They are simply trying to find out what happened, trying to find the truth, in the midst of a very complicated situation.
 
I write to you with deep respect for your work and also in the hope that you might consider apologizing for your blanket ridicule of a community of people who, in their cumulative work, contribute knowledge every day to all of us about the crucial unfolding events in the Middle East. Sure, as individuals some of them will deserve criticism at times. Many people are waiting to provide it.  Most, if not all, of these journalists also deserve respect, not ridicule.