"I couldn’t help but notice that two more articles have been published in which the Palestinian side was barely taken into consideration. You keep publishing articles in which only the Israeli side (I’m not confusing Jewish with Israeli) is portrayed in a humanistic light.” Observant is neglecting to listen to both sides of the story, according to an email we received just before the occupation of the FASoS garden. When I asked which articles the email was referring to, there was no response. I suspect the article about four Jewish students feeling less safe on campus due to the protests displeased the sender. Most likely, so did the opinion piece by a Jewish student calling for dialogue. We explicitly asked the pro-Palestinian side to comment, but didn’t receive a response.
Hearing both sides
In any case, when we ask people about their feelings or experiences, hearing both sides of the story – giving the other party the opportunity to express their views – is neither a requirement nor a necessity. The Guidelines of the Netherlands Press Council read, “Journalists must hear those who are disqualified as a result of a publication, even if their role is marginal. Those who are accused must be given ample opportunity to respond to the accusations, preferably in the same publication. Hearing both sides does not relieve journalists from their duty to report as truthfully as possible.”
"Media out"
Observant always strives for balance and fairness in reporting, aiming to present as many sides as possible. The same goes for our reporting on the Gaza war and the related unrest and protests in Maastricht. If there’s a demonstration, we report on it. If a Dialogue Table is organised, we report on it; if it’s subsequently cancelled, we report on that as well. If Studium Generale organises an evening event on Gaza, we report on it. If university buildings are defaced, we report on it. If students set up an encampment in the FASoS garden, we report on it. Naturally, we try to give representatives of various groups the opportunity to express their views. The emphasis is on “try”. Our repeated requests for comments are not always successful. The four Jewish students only agreed to be interviewed after much persuasion, and the protesters in the encampment repeatedly made it clear they wanted nothing to do with the press. Their slogan: “Media out.” The hunger strikers were eventually willing to speak to Observant, but when our colleague PD went to meet them on Wednesday morning, the faculty building had been occupied. The three of them were sitting in the street, with one stating that he will continue his hunger strike until UM has severed ties with Israeli institutions.