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Amid Ta-Nehisi Coates and Israel Scandals, CBS News Is Facing a Crisis of Its Own Making
Ta-Nehisi Coates. Photo: Wiki Commons.
Something is deeply wrong within the CBS News newsroom.
In recent months, several concerning incidents have emerged, revealing a serious issue within the editorial department of one of America’s largest news networks. These events point to an editorial team that appears to have been co-opted by activist-cum-journalists, where political biases have overtaken the network’s foundational commitment to accurate and impartial reporting. Equally troubling is the apparent abdication of oversight by editorial management, allowing journalistic standards to erode further.
CBS’ issues are most evident in a series of separate incidents related to the current Israel-Hamas war. These examples highlight that the infiltration of ideological motivations into the newsroom is not a new phenomenon, but rather a longstanding issue that has now become glaringly apparent.
CBS Producer’s Terrorist Links Revealed
An HonestReporting exposé in July revealed that a longtime CBS producer, Marwan al-Ghoul, who directs coverage from the Gaza Strip, has close ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and spoke at an official event for the proscribed terrorist group, which has carried out numerous deadly attacks on Israeli civilians.
In 2018, Al-Ghoul was among the speakers at an official PFLP event commemorating one of the prominent members of the terror group who was also Al-Ghoul’s relative.
According to the PFLP website, Al-Ghoul spoke on behalf of the family, which “expressed their gratitude to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and their esteemed comrades everywhere in the Palestinian land … for their … commitment to continue the struggle.”
Despite these disturbing revelations, CBS has refused to take any action against Al-Ghoul, declining even to comment on whether the network will continue employing him.
The Ta-Nehisi Coates Fiasco
One of the most high-profile incidents that laid bare the disquiet occurring at CBS was the furor that followed an interview between network anchor Tony Dokoupil and author Ta-Nehisi Coates, who was on a publicity tour for his new essay collection, The Message, part of which tackles the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a move that angered Dokoupil’s colleagues, the veteran journalist challenged Coates on some of the more contentious aspects of his book, including observing that it “would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist,” and highlighting its omission of any mention of Palestinian terrorism.
This direct line of questioning led to an internal campaign waged by staffers against Dokoupil, who was subsequently reprimanded and forced to apologize by senior management — a decision that Paramount Global’s CEO, Shari Redstone, later reportedly admitted was a “mistake.”
Once again, CBS News did what has now become a pattern — ignored external criticism, refused to reverse its unjust reprimand of a journalist for simply doing his job, and continued down its path of compromising journalistic integrity.
Unbelievable. @CBSNews reprimanded a journalist for doing his job—challenging @TaNehisiCoats‘ limited understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. https://t.co/ZBEBcReNjg
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) October 8, 2024
Internal Newsroom Orders Over Israel’s Capital
The pervasive anti-Israel bias that has taken over CBS News is perfectly encapsulated in an email sent out by the network’s senior director of standards and practices, Mark Memmott, in August, reminding staff not to refer to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, as “being in Israel.”
According to the Free Press, the email continued: “Yes, the U.S. embassy is there and the Trump administration recognized it as being Israel’s capital. But its status is disputed. The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel regards Jerusalem as its ‘eternal and undivided’ capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem—occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war—as the capital of a future state.”
While the status of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital may be contested, arguing over whether it is actually in Israel is another matter entirely.
Aside from the fact that the Israeli Knesset physically sits in Israel, the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which was passed by the US Congress in 1995, recognizes the city as Israel’s capital. CBS’s stance implies otherwise, suggesting the network has taken it upon itself to unilaterally redefine the borders of a sovereign nation and its capital city.
Creeping Bias in News Stories
In the stories published daily on CBS News’ website, HonestReporting has uncovered numerous incidents demonstrating the organization’s sliding standards concerning its Israel coverage.
Wrong, @CBSNews. There’s plenty of evidence if you can be bothered to look, including provided by the IDF.
Do CBS reporters not bother checking IDF press releases or doing actual investigative journalism?
Let’s take a look at some of what you missed.
https://t.co/SG11KuO0Wa pic.twitter.com/aoVLyIMMZJ
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) October 28, 2024
Most recently, this has included examples of CBS journalists disregarding established facts from their own previous reports to construct an anti-Israel narrative. For instance, in a piece published last week, CBS claimed that the IDF had “provided no evidence” of Hezbollah weapons being stored in civilian areas — despite the fact that a CBS affiliate had reported on the evidence just a month prior.
Why CBS Must Act Now
These incidents paint a troubling picture of the declining journalistic standards at CBS News, where political bias has eclipsed the fundamental responsibility of reporting the truth. CBS News has lost its way, and without an immediate course correction, it will soon lose its credibility as a news outlet and its reputation along the way.
This starts with demanding that journalists either learn to leave their biases at the door or find another employer. For CBS News to demonstrate its commitment to maintaining editorial standards, rooting out the individuals who are eroding its reputation is where it begins.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post Amid Ta-Nehisi Coates and Israel Scandals, CBS News Is Facing a Crisis of Its Own Making first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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IDF Denies Troops Fired on Civilians After Incidents of Settler Violence
Illustrative. Israeli troops during counterterrorism activity in Tulkarem, northwestern Samaria, September 2024. Photo: IDF.
i24 News – The IDF released a statement after an incident during which Israeli soldiers opened fire on Israeli civilians in the West Bank on Saturday night, denying that the trooped fired live ammunition.
This comes at the heels of arson incidents by settlers against Palestinian villages, with clashes breaking out. The IDF said that its soldiers had come under attack on Friday as they entered the area of Kafr Malik, the site of the disturbances, by Israeli civilians. “The undermining of the rule of law and the use of violence by a radical minority harm security and stability in the area.”
The IDF later said that “an initial investigation indicates that IDF forces did not fire live ammunition at Israeli civilians in the area. It should be clarified that the battalion commander’s force operating in the Baal Hatzor area of the Binyamin brigade did not fire live ammunition at all.” On the other hand, the civilians claimed this was false, posting a video that showed shell casings on the ground right next to where the troops were deployed.
Meanwhile, the police requested the remand of six individuals, two of whom are minors, to be extended in connection with the incident.
The IDF later said that, “in another area within the sector, stones were thrown at a military vehicle near the site of the clash by masked individuals from an ambush. The force responded with a warning shot of three bullets.” A possible connection “between this incident and the claim that an Israeli civilian was injured by live fire” is being investigated.
After the incidents late last week, the IDF issued an unusual directive for soldiers to exercise special vigilance and also prepare for scenarios involving nationalist incidents perpetrated by Israeli citizens. The directive was issued after a military vehicle was set on fire inside a Jewish settlement, the tires of an armored David vehicle were punctured, and a community policing caravan near the community of Beit El was also set on fire.
“The security establishment system is highly alert,” a security official told i24NEWS. “We are seeing an escalation on the ground – and if you cannot leave a military vehicle in a Jewish community without it being burned in the sector, it is a sign that the situation is dangerous.”
The post IDF Denies Troops Fired on Civilians After Incidents of Settler Violence first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Orders Evacuations in Northern Gaza as Trump Calls for War to End
US President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 6, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kent Nishimura
The Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate areas in northern Gaza on Sunday before intensified fighting against Hamas, as US President Donald Trump called for an end to the war amid renewed efforts to broker a ceasefire.
“Make the deal in Gaza, get the hostages back,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform early on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold talks later in the day on the progress of Israel’s offensive. A senior security official said the military will tell him the campaign is close to reaching its objectives, and warn that expanding fighting to new areas in Gaza may endanger the remaining Israeli hostages.
But in a statement posted on X and text messages sent to many residents, the military urged people in northern parts of the enclave to head south towards the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, which Israel designated as a humanitarian area. Palestinian and U.N. officials say nowhere in Gaza is safe.
“The (Israeli) Defense Forces is operating with extreme force in these areas, and these military operations will escalate, intensify, and extend westward to the city center to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations,” the military said.
The evacuation order covered the Jabalia area and most Gaza City districts. Medics and residents said the Israeli army’s bombardments escalated in the early hours in Jabalia, destroying several houses and killing at least six people.
At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, relatives arrived to pay their respects to white-shrouded bodies before they are buried.
“A month ago, they (Israel) told us to go to Al-Mawasi (in Khan Younis) and we stayed there for a month, it is a safe zone,” said Zeyad Abu Marouf. He said three of his children were killed and a fourth was wounded in the Israeli airstrike.
“We ask God and the Arabs to move and end this occupation and the injustice taking place against us,” Abu Marouf told Reuters.
NEW CEASEFIRE PUSH
The military escalation comes as Arab mediators, Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, begin a new ceasefire effort to halt the 20-month-old conflict and secure the release of Israeli and foreign hostages still being held by Hamas.
Interest in resolving the Gaza conflict has heightened following US and Israeli bombings of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
There has also been rising concern over how aid is being distributed to Gazans in the ruined enclave. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed over the past month in the vicinity of areas where food was being handed out, local hospitals and officials have said.
A Hamas official told Reuters the group had informed the mediators it was ready to resume ceasefire talks, but reaffirmed the group’s outstanding demands that any deal must end the war and secure an Israeli withdrawal from the coastal territory.
Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive, only in a deal that will end the war. Israel says it can only end the war if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms.
The post Israel Orders Evacuations in Northern Gaza as Trump Calls for War to End first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Russia Launches Largest Drone Attack Yet Against Ukraine, Kills F-16 Pilot
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 10, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
i24 News – Ukraine’s Air Force said that Russia launched 537 drones and missiles against targets throughout Ukraine overnight between Saturday and Sunday, in what what described as the largest attack of the war.
Poland activated aerial defenses and scrambled jets as the six-hour onslaught continued. One Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed as Kyiv attempted to intercept the missiles and drones, with 475 shot down.
“Tragically, while repelling the attack, our F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, died. Today, he destroyed seven aerial targets,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“Ustymenko did everything possible, but his jet was damaged and started losing altitude,” the air force said, as quoted in Politico. “He died like a hero!”
The cities of Cherkasy, Lviv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv were targeted.
The Russia attack came after Ukraine attacked the Kirovske airfield in the Crimean Peninsula, targeting air defenses, drones, and even destroying several helicopters and an air defense system.
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