Shepherd Express Denies GENOCIDE - Demand Better Journalism Now
Louis Fortis and the editors of the Shepherd Express
The Shepherd Express—a local magazine that refers to itself as “Milwaukee’s alternative news source”—prides itself on “providing honest, accurate, and courageous journalism.” Unfortunately, the owner & editors of the Shepherd have failed to live up to their own values and now we are asking our neighbors to show up for Milwaukee by demanding accurate, informed reporting from our local magazine.
The Shepherd Express has gone out of its way to remove the word “genocide” from its articles and direct quotes from Palestinian members of the Milwaukee community. This journalistic malpractice prioritizes a Zionist agenda over truth and the current reality of Palestinians - in Palestine, Milwaukee, and elsewhere.
How is Shepherd Express failing to live up to its core values?
For several months, readers and members of the community have called out Shepherd Express via letters, emails, and comments on social media to demand accurate reporting by factually referring to Israel’s onslaught of Palestinians as what it is: a genocide. This failure to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes against Palestinians, the civilians of several surrounding countries, and activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, is part of a pattern of substandard journalistic practice when it comes to Palestine - a pattern shamefully exhibited in the Shepherd Express and in media broadly. In choosing to distort the reality of the severity and intentionality behind Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, the Shepherd Express is giving cover to the worst possible crime against humanity and instead prioritizing the hateful rhetoric and violent outcomes of a Zionist agenda.
Community demands to hold the Shepherd accountable to its own standards have gone ignored, community members have been silenced, and related articles continue to have the word genocide purposely excised and vital context—expected in any objective, meaningful journalistic reporting—omitted.
Here is a list of our demands:
Call this ongoing reality what it is in your reporting: a genocide. Live up to the Shepherd Express’s own mission statement about reporting stories “accurately and honestly.”
Meet with the local Palestinian community to address concerns about the racially-motivated omissions and ongoing issues regarding their coverage of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.
Issue a public apology for publishing unfounded, inflammatory accusations about the Palestinian community and their supporters—accusations manufactured and spread by local Zionists who promote a pro-genocide agenda.
Petition by
To:
Louis Fortis and the editors of the Shepherd Express
From:
[Your Name]
I write today to express my outrage at the Shepherd Express’s unethical choice to actively deny the ongoing genocide being committed against Palestine by intentionally removing the word “genocide” from a majority of its reporting on local events & community members advocating for an end to Israel’s genocide. Factual reporting on the reality of any situation—especially when it comes to an internationally recognized genocide and the worst crime against humanity—should be a given for a journalistic magazine that prides itself on being an alternative news source with “accurate, honest, and courageous” reporting. Yet, in replicating a pattern of genocide denial and erasure perpetuated by media sources around the world, the Shepherd is neither an alternative news source, nor courageous in its reporting.
I understand members of the community have reached out to the leadership of the Shepherd Express in hopes of addressing the genocide denial, only to be met with deflection or silence. It is alarming for a local magazine to ignore genuine, valid concerns from the community it purports to serve, and raises more questions and concerns about the ultimate objectives of this publication. If the Shepherd is not meant to report the truth and is not meant to serve the community, whose agenda is it serving?
I am joining many others in amplifying the demands raised by community members to hold the Shepherd Express accountable to its own journalistic standards of reporting accurately, honestly, and courageously. Our demands are:
1. Call this ongoing reality what it is in your reporting: a genocide. Live up to the Shepherd Express’s own mission statement about reporting stories “accurately and honestly.”
2. Meet with the local Palestinian community to address concerns about the racially-motivated omissions and ongoing issues regarding their coverage of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.
3. Issue a public apology for publishing unfounded, inflammatory accusations about the Palestinian community and their supporters—accusations manufactured and spread by local Zionists who promote a pro-genocide agenda.
Until these demands are met, I will boycott the Shepherd Express. I will not pick up copies of the magazine, I will not visit the website, and I will not share, promote, or participate in stories, events, or campaigns involving the publication. I will also encourage others to join me in this community boycott.
In solidarity with the Palestinian people,