Anti-Israel Media Bias Moving to Canadian Campuses

HRC Executive Director Mike FegelmanPic: HRC Executive Director Mike Fegelman

The organization was founded in 2003 as an independent, non-profit organization headquartered in Toronto. In 2008, HRC expanded its efforts to Montreal with the launch of an office there and the creation of a French monitoring unit. HRC is affiliated with other HonestReporting initiatives around the world. The first such initiative, HonestReporting.com, came about in response to the "media war" paralleling the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians since October 2000. The Canadian branch was founded by prominent businessmen, academics, and former Canadian media executives. HRC is chaired by Ken Rotman, Co-CEO of Clairvest Group, a Toronto-based private equity investment firm. Other board members include author and historian Professor Irving Abella, Former Senior VP of News at CTV and CBC Tim Kotcheff, etc.

Future Campus Plans

In the future, HonestReporting Canada hopes to replicate its successful media monitoring model and establish a permanent presence on Canadian campuses from coast to coast. HRC hopes to create a “media ambassadors program” where it would train competent pro-Israel student advocates on campus to ensure fair and accurate campus media coverage of Israel. Campus co-coordinators would partner with existing pro-Israel campus organizations and would pro-actively write op-ed’s, monitor campus media outlets, and organize media-related campus events. Students would be compensated with a stipend at the completion of the program.

HonestReporting Canada is a non-profit organization supported by personal donations, large and small, from individual Canadians. Fegelman called on all who are interested in getting involved with HonestReporting by going to its website (www.honestreporting.ca) and sign up to receive their free media action alerts.