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Time to say a few things about what @972mag means for me. Co-founding it was not only the best decision I ever made in my journalism career, but believe it or not - it had some repercussions. And that’s important for me to say. Especially these days. And I’ll explain.
Ten years ago I got together with some of the most intelligent, dedicated activists and journalists I ever met:
@nsheizaf, @lisang, @dahliasc, @reider, Yuval Ben Ami; @ibnezra and others.
@nsheizaf, @lisang, @dahliasc, @reider, Yuval Ben Ami; @ibnezra and others.
We were all blogging somewhere in English (mine was “Half n’ Half” - anyone remember it?) and decided to join forces. At the time, there really wasn’t any English media outlet farther “left” than Haaretz (and I’m not getting into any discussion of what is “left” today. Yawn.)
+972 became my day and night. Even when I was holding a day job. I could be Night Editor at a newspaper, and instead of completely focusing my time on getting a paper down before deadline, I’d spend my time writing posts and editing pieces of other +972 colleagues.
Sometimes I would publish in the wee hours of the night, always wondering who the heck is reading my stuff.
I was free to write whatever and whenever I wanted. I experimented. I wrote opeds, which eventually led to the Guardian, the Forward and other outlets contacting me to write for them. I wrote satire. I did comics. Even some video (which would help me land a job in TV later).
And all the time, I was doing it with this passion I never had in any other outlet, this eagerness to bring change. And if I may toot our horn, we did. We changed the discourse, we influenced the discussion on Is\\Pal . And the beauty of it, is that ten years later +972 still is.
It's more diverse, and under the leadership of EIC @edokonrad (who took over the indefatigable @MikeOmerMan), CEO @Ha_Matar, and a fantastic roster of writers today,+972 is continuing to lead and grow an int'l community fighting for justice for all people btwn the River and Sea.
As I said, there was a price. And yes, I say that in full knowledge of my white Ashkenazi privileges. But I think that people should know that I and other (if not all) +972’ers have been labeled at various stages. At work places, at job interviews.
Personally, I’ve been blocked, I’ve been pushed out - numerous times. But THAT is Israel today - you are ostracized (and sent death threats) for demanding basic human rights for all people.
But fuck ‘em. As the age old adage says, “You can take the guy out of +972, but you can’t take +972 out of the guy.” +972 is what I’m most proud of in my career. It will always be a home.
And this week they’ve launched a membership program. For just a small amount, you can support the on ground reporting, the sharp analysis, the biting opinion - just all around top notch journalism - with a good cause: justice.
I hope you’ll consider becoming a member. Follow the link below for more information. https://www.972mag.com/members/
