Antisemitic Semantics

At a time of nationwide student protests over the Israel-Hamas war, The House passed legislation last Wednesday that would require the Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism in its anti-discrimination reviews. That definition offers “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity” among several possible examples of antisemitism, while stating that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.” 

While advocates say this would aid the Department of Education in combating rising harassment targeted toward Jewish students, critics fear this could limit free speech throughout college campuses.

Additionally, several House committees will be investigating universities' handling of pro-Palestinian activities, potentially targeting federal support through agencies such as the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, and the tax code. This comes at a time when universities across the U.S. are facing increased scrutiny over allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia, amidst a rise in pro-Palestinian encampments on campuses.

Polling data reveals public opinion on the campus protests is divided, with nearly half of Americans (47%) believing colleges and universities should ban pro-Palestine demonstrations on campuses, while 41% say the same of pro-Israel demonstrations. More Americans oppose (47%) than support (28%) pro-Palestine protests on college campuses. However, more young Americans support (40%) the protests than oppose (27%) them.

The bill now goes to the Senate where its fate is uncertain.

On April 24th, President Biden signed a bill into law that forces TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell its shares to an American company within 270 days or face a U.S. ban. 

Brands should anticipate potential changes and prepare a contingency plan that braces for a ban while still reaching desired audiences. Companies looking to navigate this uncertain future should begin by considering these key questions:  

1. What is your current exposure on TikTok? Is it limited to an owned media presence? Or does it extend to paid media and/or paid influencer partnerships as well?

2. Where are your TikTok followers located? Are they mostly in the US? Other regions?

3. Have you taken a moment to save your TikTok data?

4. What role does TikTok currently play in your communications strategy? Are sales, engagement, audience interaction, and/or message resonance higher or lower than other social media platforms on a per-post basis?

5. What concerns have your stakeholders (employees, customers, vendors, local communities, interest groups, etc.) expressed about your company/organization being on TikTok (if at all)?

6. How are you staying up-to-date and informed of platform changes and the potential ban? Are you tracking what your peers are doing and/or posting about this issue?

Later this month, FGS’s Digital Insights team will take a deep dive into the implications of the possible ban for brands and different regions in a TikTok-focused special edition newsletter. For more news and updates,subscribe to the newsletter.

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When engaging press and placing stories, it can be helpful to take a step back and consider the people on the receiving end of a pitch – who are they, and what types of experiences might they have? We looked at the data to give you a sense of the types of people who make up the journalism work force:

• Though more journalists in the U.S. are men (51%) than women (46%), a significant majority of health reporters are women (64%), according to the Pew Research Center, one of the most significant gender disparities of any beat studied.

• There are significant racial disparities in health reporting. More than three quarters of U.S. health journalists are white – small minorities of health reporters are Hispanic (8%), Black (5%) or Asian (5%).

• Many journalists have personal connections to organized labor, with one in every six journalists in the U.S. being members of a union – and 41% of them would join a union if one were available at their organization.

• Reporters’ work can come at a significant cost to their well-being. Overwhelming majorities of reporters have been exposed to traumatic events in their line of work, and 92% of journalists report experiencing at least four traumatic situations, per the Dart Center.

• Despite the media industry’s challenges, the overwhelming majority of reporters (77%) say they would choose their careers again. 

But Remember: Reporters are individuals, and understanding their demographics only takes you so far. Familiarizing yourself with reporters’ beats and interests – and getting to know them as peers – remains the most important aspect of successfully working with and supporting them.