ADL forms task force against anti-semitic, racist harassment of journalist

The Task Force was initiated after several incidents where journalists covering the 2016 presidential campaign have been targeted.

By DANIELLE ZIRI
Anti-Defamation League National Director Jonathan Greenblatt (photo credit: Courtesy)
Anti-Defamation League National Director Jonathan Greenblatt
(photo credit: Courtesy)
NEW YORK - The Anti-Defamation League, which works to battle anti-semitism around the world, announced on Wednesday that it has formed a task force on against anti-semitic and racist harassment of journalist.
The Task Force was initiated after several incidents where journalists covering the 2016 presidential campaign have been targeted with anti-Semitic harassment on social media including CNN’s Jake Tapper, Julia Ioffe, The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, and Jonathan Weisman of The New York Times.
The ADL initiative will aim to: assess the scope and source of anti-Semitic, racist and other harassment of journalists on social media; determine whether and how this harassment is having an impact on the electorate; and propose solutions that can prevent journalists from becoming targets for hate speech on social media in the future.
“Journalists are used to being criticized, but this election cycle we repeatedly have seen criticism quickly cross the line into ugly anti-Semitic and other hateful attacks including death threats,” ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt said.
He added that ADL strives to ensure that free speech and free press are not jeopardized.
The Task Force expects to issue a report by the end of the summer. Among the advisors participating are the Deans of Columbia and Northwestern Universities’ Journalism Schools.