Israel Claims Journos They Killed Don't Count

Breaking Points hosts Ryan Grim and Crystal Ball interview Nika Sununang, publisher of Dropside News and former board member of the Committee to Protect Journalists, about her removal from the CPJ board following her opposition to redefining who qualifies as a journalist. The controversy began when CPJ board members planned to discuss a response to a Washington Free Beacon article accusing the board of being stacked with critics of Israel. Instead of addressing the article's factual errors, the discussion shifted to whether journalists in Gaza affiliated with organizations designated as terrorist groups should be excluded from CPJ's database of killed journalists. Sununang explains that the current CPJ definition, which follows international law, already excludes anyone directly participating in combat at the time of death, and works for state-backed outlets including those run by groups various countries have designated as terrorist organizations. She argues the proposed change would categorically exclude nearly all Palestinian journalists, since virtually every significant political faction in Gaza has been designated a terrorist organization by either the US or Israel, and many journalists freelance for both Western and local outlets. After Sununang sent an email demanding a board vote on the task force, she was informed the next morning that her term had ended, though CPJ bylaws indicate board members should remain until replacements are selected. The board ultimately voted against the redefinition. The Israeli Defense Forces officially engaged with the controversy on social media, tweeting a Spongebob meme at Sununang and posting an 'I told you so' message. Sununang notes that CPJ's board is comprised almost entirely of leaders from mainstream media organizations like the New York Times, Fox News, and NBC, whose coverage of the Gaza conflict faces growing scrutiny. The episode also features a clip of comedian Theo Vaughn pressing Republican Senator John Kennedy on the killing of over 220 journalists in Gaza, with Kennedy unable to provide a substantive response.

• Nika Sununang was removed from the CPJ board the morning after she demanded a vote on a task force to redefine who counts as a journalist, potentially excluding most Palestinian journalists.
• The CPJ board considered breaking from international law to categorically exclude journalists affiliated with organizations designated as terrorist groups by the US or Israel.
• The redefinition effort was sparked by a Washington Free Beacon article accusing CPJ board members of being anti-Israel, citing claims from the pro-Israel group Honest Reporting.
• The Israeli Defense Forces officially engaged in the controversy by tweeting a Spongebob meme at Sununang and posting an 'I told you so' message when the story broke.
• CPJ's current definition already excludes anyone directly participating in combat at death and includes journalists from state-backed outlets and organizations designated as terrorist groups by various countries.
• Nearly all significant political factions in Gaza have been designated terrorist organizations by the US or Israel, meaning the proposed redefinition would exclude almost all Palestinian journalists killed.
• The CPJ board is comprised almost entirely of leaders from mainstream media organizations including the New York Times, Fox News, and NBC whose Gaza coverage faces growing scrutiny.