Just Journalism

Just Journalism (JJ - Company Number: 06345885 Date of Incorporation: 17/08/2007; Dissolved 14/08/2012) was a pro-Israel media flak group which claimed to 'promote accurate and responsible reporting about Israel in the British media.' It was a partner organisation of the neoconservative Henry Jackson Society. Henry Jackson Society, 'HJS PARTNER JUST JOURNALISM PRODUCES ORIGINAL QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF UK MEDIA'S MIDDLE EAST COVERAGE IN 2010', 19 May 2011.
It closed down in September 2011, reportedly due to a lack of funds.Simon Rocker, Just Journalism forced to close, 22 September 2011, Jewish Chronicle, accessed 3 July 2012
==Background==
According to an 11 January 2008 report in the Jewish Chronicle: 'A new London-based organisation dedicated to monitoring and analysing press coverage of Israel is to be launched shortly with a full-time staff. A spokesperson said that staff were being recruited and the aim was to ensure a “professional, dedicated effort” to examine whether Israel receives fair coverage in the media. The organisation, which is yet to be named, was in the “early stages of development”, she added. It would not compete with other Israeli lobbying groups such as Bicom, the Britain-Israel Communications and Research Centre, which seeks to present Israel’s case to journalists. It would be keen to co-operate with communal organisations.'Bernard Josephs, New Israel lobby ‘not taking on Bicom’ Jewish Chronicle 11 January 2008
Despite the suggestion that the organisation was 'yet to be named' in January 2008, the domain name for Just Journalism was registered on 26 July 2007 by Debra WiseDomaintools justjournalism.com, accessed 21 November 2010 and a holding page was in existence between at least 12 December 2007 and 15 March 2008. The website went live on 27 March 2008.Simon Rocker, New body to monitor media coverage of Israel, The Jewish Chronicle, 27 March 2008Just Journalism You have reached the future home of Just Journalism, Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 15 March 2008, accessed 21 November 2010Just Journalism Welcome to Just Journalism, Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 18 April 2008, accessed 21 November 2010 According to the Jewish Chronicle, other than Adel Darwish, the organization's professional team included Israeli lawyer Elisheva Mironi and two researchers. 
On 27 March 2008 the organization got a plug from the Jewish Chronicle and the Jerusalem Post.Jonny Paul, UK group tackles anti-Israel media bias, Jerusalem Post, 27 March 2008 On 31 March 2008 the organization was promoted by Melanie Phillips on her Spectator blog.Melanie Phillips, Just Journalism, The Spectator (blog), 31 March 2008 All played on the Egyptian origins of the JJ director. Its first reports on news items were on 'Channel 4, March 7 2008 by Jonathan Rugman', 'Tensions that set off a rebellion The Times, March 8 2008' and 'Hamas's battle for hearts and minds The Economist, March 27 2008'. It had posted 8 reports of alleged anti-Israel bias by 18 April 2008.
==Activities==
JJ published daily commentary on the media coverage of Israel and produced longer reports on particular themes, e.g., the coverage of Israel at 60, the assault on Gaza, and the Freedom Flotilla massacre. JJ's main pressure tactic was to accuse media institutions of a lack of 'balance,' demanding that more Israelis be given a chance to voice their opinions. JJ's reports were mainly carried by the Jewish and Israeli press, and by pro-Israel bloggers like Melanie Phillips and Harry's Place.
===A McCarthyist witch-hunt===
In March 2009, Adel Darwish announced on his blog that he had resigned from JJ in December 2008. He warned that the overzealousness of the organization's principals risked turning it into 'a Maccarthist which-hunt'[sic] of fellow journalists'. He also noted:
:One significant handicap from which the project suffered from the start was the absence of any analyst or researcher with journalistic experience. Although they were excellent researchers of good academic minds (one was a lawyer), dedicated and enthusiast about the work; they lacked the experience of being reporters on the ground and were never exposed to newsroom culture. This resulted, sometimes in researchers being overzealous or under the illusion that unless they find reports and media news item that breached the code of good journalism it means they were non productive...
:As weeks and months passed, it was obvious that within Just Journalism, there was two irreconcilable views of media reporting on Israel. Mine, seen from a standpoint of a long experience in journalism; and that of the chairwoman, with her commercial background and experience in corporate management who wanted ‘value for money’ which had only one translation ‘as many items on the site as possible’ – obviously items of analysis of unbalanced or biased against Israel, and how many journalists per week were ticked off or contacted to be told that their work did not meet the criteria.Adel Darwish, Adel Darwish resigned from Just Journalism 3 Months Ago, adeldarwish.com, UK-Politics & World Current Affairs, 10 March 2009. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 7 July 2007 on 1 May 2020.
Darwish went on to write that 'It was inevitable that I had to resign since the person who signs the cheques calls the tune. In fact the chairwoman called the tune by instructing staff, who were young, impressionable and also zealous, to place analysis on the website without referring to me as a director.'
According to Darwish these concerns also prompted the resignations of Nick Cohen and Tarek Heggy. Cohen's name is no longer listed on JJ's advisory board. However, Cohen's name was listed as a panelist for an event scheduled for 13 December 2010, jointly organized by the Henry Jackson Society, the Jewish Chronicle, and the Israeli embassy.Event: Squaring the Circle? Britain and the De-legitimisation of Israel, scheduled for 13 December 2010
==Targets==
===London Review of Books===
In November 2010, Just Journalism published a 'study' which purported to expose 'an entirely one-sided, fringe narrative, paid for by British taxpayers’ money via Arts Council funding.' The report adds: 'Despite Britain’s alliance with Israel, public money has been used to pay extreme opponents of Israel to pen articles demonising the Jewish state.'Chris Dyszynski, London Review of Books: Ten years of anti-Israel Prejudice, Just Journalism, November 2010 Daniel Johnson, the editor of Standpoint magazine who earlier wrote an attack on London Review editor Mary-Kay Wilmers, is (as of 2010) a member of JJ's advisory board.Daniel Johnson, Mary-Kay Wilmers, Standpoint, January/February 2010 The story was picked up by the ADL, which released and distributed the report on 22 November 2010.Report: London Review Of Books Has 'Distinct Anti-Israel Bias,' Gives Platform To Israel Bashers, ADL, 22 November 2010 It was also reproduced in the Jewish and Israeli press, and by bloggers like Melanie Phillips.
Yaniv Halily, Prestigious magazine fights Israel, YNet, 16 November 2010Jonny Paul, Literary magazine ‘using public money to demonize Israel’, Jerusalem Post, 18 November 2010Melanie Phillips, The London Review of Bigotry, The Spectator, 18 November 2010 Outside the Jewish and Israeli media the report didn't received much coverage. It received a disparaging mention from Matthew Bell of the Independent on Sunday who noted:
:It’s not the most objective report, and one can’t help feeling that they’re over-egging things by claiming that the LRB is propped up by the state: the grants were over 30 years, amounting to around £26,000 a year. And everyone knows the LRB survives only thanks to the deep pockets of its editor, Mary-Kay Wilmers, an American heiress who, besides, is herself Jewish. The timing is telling, though, as the Arts Council must make cuts of 30 per cent. No prizes for guessing where Just Journalism thinks they should start.Matthew Bell, The IoS Diary (28/11/10): Still talking turkey, Independent on Sunday, 28 November 2010
==Company history==
*14/08/2012	 	FINAL GAZETTE: DISSOLVED EX-LIQUIDATED	 
*14/05/2012	 	RETURN OF FINAL MEETING IN A CREDITORS' VOLUNTARY WINDING UP
*31/10/2011	 	REGISTERED OFFICE CHANGED ON 31/10/2011 FROM 2ND FLOOR BRENTMEAD HOUSE BRITANNIA ROAD LONDON N12 9RU
*31/10/2011	 	STATEMENT OF AFFAIRS/4.19
*31/10/2011	 	NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF LIQUIDATOR (VOLUNTARY)
*31/10/2011	 	EXTRAORDINARY RESOLUTION TO WIND UP
*05/10/2011	 	REGISTERED OFFICE CHANGED ON 05/10/2011 FROM 210 PENTONVILLE ROAD LONDON N1 9JY
*08/09/2011	 	17/08/11 NO MEMBER LIST
*03/06/2011	 	31/08/10 TOTAL EXEMPTION SMALL
*13/09/2010	 	REGISTERED OFFICE CHANGED ON 13/09/2010 FROM 4 BRADLEY HOUSE 26 ST ALBANS LANE LONDON NW11 7QE
*08/09/2010	 	17/08/10 NO MEMBER LIST
*08/09/2010	 	DIRECTOR'S CHANGE OF PARTICULARS / DANA BRASS / 17/08/2010
*28/05/2010	 	31/08/09 TOTAL EXEMPTION SMALL
*09/09/2009	 	ANNUAL RETURN MADE UP TO 17/08/09
*17/06/2009	 	31/08/08 TOTAL EXEMPTION SMALL
*13/05/2009	 	APPOINTMENT TERMINATED DIRECTOR ELIZABETH APFEL
*19/03/2009	 	DIRECTOR APPOINTED ELIZABETH RACHEL APFEL
*06/03/2009	 	APPOINTMENT TERMINATE, DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY ELISHEVA SARAH MIRONI LOGGED FORM
*18/02/2009	 	REGISTERED OFFICE CHANGED ON 18/02/2009 FROM SUITE 28-29 4-5 COLERIDGE GARDENS LONDON NW6 3QH 
*28/08/2008	 	DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY'S CHANGE OF PARTICULARS / ELISHEVA MIRONI / 28/08/2008 
*28/08/2008	 	DIRECTOR'S CHANGE OF PARTICULARS / DANA BRASS / 28/08/2008 
*28/08/2008	 	ANNUAL RETURN MADE UP TO 17/08/08	 
*25/04/2008	 	REGISTERED OFFICE CHANGED ON 25/04/2008 FROM 1ST FLOOR 41 CHALTON STREET LONDON NW1 1JD	 
*05/03/2008	 	DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY APPOINTED ELISHEVA SARAH MIRONI	 
*06/12/2007	 	SECRETARY RESIGNED
*14/11/2007	 	NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED
*29/08/2007	 	NEW SECRETARY APPOINTED
*29/08/2007	 	REGISTERED OFFICE CHANGED ON 29/08/07 FROM: 41 CHALTON STREET LONDON NW1 1JD
==Publications & Coverage==
===Publications===
*Chris Dyszynski, London Review of Books: Ten years of anti-Israel Prejudice, Just Journalism, November 2010
*Carmel Gould, Gaza flotilla raid: Media presentation of Israeli video evidence, Just Journalism, 28 June 2010
*Carmel Gould (with a foreward by Hussein Ibish), Salam Fayyad and the drive towards Palestinian statehood: A comparison of British and US media coverage, Just Journalism, 27 May 2010 
*The Gathering Calm: The Guardian’s editorial position on Iran’s nuclear programme, Just Journalism, 31 March 2010
*Barriers to peace: Israeli settlements, Palestinian demands and the one-sided media narrative, Just Journalism, 4 March 2010
*BBC on the Gaza blockade: the roles of Israel and Egypt, Just Journalism, 8 February 2010
*Financial Times 2009: A year of Middle East editorials, Just Journalism, 28 January 2010
*Israel at 60 in the UK media: an analysis, Just Journalism, 10 July 2009
===Coverage===
Just Journalism reports were by and large ignored by the mainstream press. Other than Melanie Phillips, Alex Brummer of the Daily Mail appears to be the only journalist from the mainstream who uses them, albeit writing in the Jewish press.*Alex Brummer, Now proof that the Nakba narrative rules, Jewish Chronicle, 11 July 2008
==People==
===Staff===
*Michael Weiss - Executive director | Carmel Gould - Content Manager | Chris Dyszyński – Media Analyst | Jon Dranko – Events Intern | Rael Miller – Media Intern
====Former Staff====
Elizabeth Jay - Chief executive circa 2009 | Adel Darwish - Director March-December 2008Adel Darwish, Adel Darwish resigned from Just Journalism 3 Months Ago, UK -Politics & World Current Affairs, 10 March 2009 | Elisheva Mironi
===Advisory Board===
====2008====
*Nick Cohen | Tarek Heggy | Denis MacShane | John Lloyd | Robin Shepherd | Michael UllmanJust Journalism Advisory board, retrieved from the Internet Archive of 15 April 2008 (Accessed: 20 November 2010)
====2010====
*Denis MacShane | Robin Shepherd | Michael Ullman | Alan Johnson | Douglas Murray | Alan Mendoza | Daniel Johnson | Michael Rainsborough | Nina Rosenwald | Ghanem NuseibehJust Journalism Advisory board, Accessed: 20 November 2010
===Company Directors===
*Elizabeth Apfel (DoB 22 June 1972) Appointed as Director 14 January 2009Companies House, 288a Appointment of director or secretary, Just Journalism, 16 March 2009 Appointment terminated 8 May 2009.Companies House, 288b Terminating appointment as director or secretary, Just Journalism, 8 May 2009 
*Dana Brass (DoB 21.07.76 Previously known as Dana Weissman) Appointed director 5 November 2007 
*Elisheva Mironi (previously Elizabeth Mironi DoB 10.10.73) Appointed Secretary and Director 7 February 2008Companies House, 288a Appointment of director or secretary, Just Journalism, 7 February 2008 Appointment terminated 16 February 2009.Companies House, 288b Terminating appointment as director or secretary, Just Journalism, 1 March 2009 
*SDG Registrars Limited - Director SDG Secretaries Limited/Stanley Davis Group Limited - Secretary appointed 17 August 2007 and resigned on the same day 17 August 2007
==Affiliations==
*Henry Jackson Society
*Centre for Social Cohesion
*Hudson Institute
*Standpoint
*Community Security Trust
*Harry's Place
*Tablet
*ADL
*Weekly Standard
*Alexander Meleagrou-HitchensAlexander Meleagrou-Hitchens & Michael Weiss, Terrorism and the British Academy, Just Journalism, 22 October 2010
==Contact, References and Resources==
===Contact===
====Website registration 2007====
:Registrant: Debra Wise
:xx xxxxxxxx xxxx
:Watford, Herts HA3 4AP GB
====2010====
:Email: contact@justjournalism.com – for all general enquiries
:Phone : 020 7837 5960 
:Address: PO BOX 57779, London, NW11 1GS, UK
:Website: www.justjournalism.com
===Resources===
*Muhammad Idrees Ahmad 'London Review of Books’ is unsurprisingly a target of the lobby Mondonweiss', November 22, 2010
*Sharif Nashashibi, Just Journalism? It's anything but, The Guardian, 6 March 2009
===Notes===
category:UK
category:Israel Lobby