The Jewish Chronicle is in crisis as it faces serious questions over its journalistic standards and opaque ownership after several columnists jumped ship following allegations of fabricated articles supporting Israel’s war on Gaza.
The paper was forced to remove several sensationalist pro-Israeli articles about the genocide in Gaza, reportedly due to claims that the material was fabricated by a ‘freelance journalist.’
Four well-known writers – Jonathan Freedland, David Aaronovitch, Hadley Freeman, and David Baddiel – have decided to leave the publication after this latest scandal.
The Chronicle has been scrutinised over its journalistic integrity for some time. It has been accused of pedalling Islamophobic rhetoric and regularly breaches the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) code, leading to calls for an investigation into the paper’s journalistic standards.
The current controversy coincides with recent reports in Israeli media suggesting that stories based on potentially fake or misrepresented intelligence have been placed in European newspapers, allegedly to support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocide in Gaza.
“The latest scandal brings great disgrace on the paper – publishing fabricated stories and showing only the thinnest form of contrition – but it is only the latest,” said Freedland in a letter to editor Jake Wallis Simmons.
“Too often, the JC reads like a partisan, ideological instrument, its judgements political rather than journalistic.”
Hadley Freeman told BBC Radio 4: “Jews represent a tiny, tiny percentage of the British population, less than one percent, and we want to have a liberal modern voice that represents British Jewish feelings… what it felt like, increasingly, was that the Jewish Chronicle was representing a more ideological rather than strictly journalistic point of view, and was becoming far more right wing and far more in step with Netanyahu – which most British Jews are not.”
Poor journalistic standards, opaque ownership
In a brief statement released late Friday night, the Jewish Chronicle said it was unsatisfied by some of the claims made by the ‘freelance journalist’, Elon Perry.
Perry’s reports claimed to offer insider accounts of Israeli military operations and intelligence activities but investigations by other Israeli media dismissed these reports as “fabrications.” They also raised serious doubts about Perry’s credentials and past work as a journalist.
Wallis Simons said on Sunday that he understood why “some columnists have decided to step back from the paper.”
“I take full responsibility for the mistakes that have been made and I will take equal responsibility for the task of making sure nothing like this can happen again,” he said on X.
The Jewish Chronicle’s latest scandal has intensified concerns about the paper’s editorial direction under editor Wallis Simons with critics arguing it has veered increasingly further to the right.
Lingering questions about the paper’s ownership are adding to the controversy. In 2020, the Jewish Chronicle was acquired by a consortium led by Sir Robbie Gibb, who is also a member of the BBC’s governing board.
“If only we knew who really owned the @JewishChron. The only person who can be held accountable is surely BBC Director Sir Robbie Gibb since he constructed the smoke and mirrors around the purchase,” said former Guardian Editor Alan Rusbridger on X.
