Letter to the editor: Dueling lawsuits

Regarding your story, “Will dueling op-eds turn into dueling lawsuits?” I find it highly objectionable that you used quotes made by me in confidential emails with the parties.

[additional-authors]

Jewish Journal

September 1, 2015

Dear Rob,

I have just sent the following email to your reporter, and am now sending it to you.

Regarding your story, “Will dueling op-eds turn into dueling lawsuits?” I find it highly objectionable that you used quotes made by me in confidential emails with the parties.

Let me say for the record that this is unprofessional and unethical.

I do not think Mr. Ron Torossian is “nuts” and we never said we wouldn’t run another op-ed by him.

On the contrary, The Jerusalem Post is open to hearing both sides of the story, just as I’m sure you are.

Regards,

Steve Linde

The Editors Respond:

We stand by Debra Nussbaum Cohen’s reporting. Using emails to report stories in the public interest is established journalistic practice supported by case law and engaged in by all responsible media, including the Jerusalem Post.

That said, in an email dated August 20, 2015, Mr. Linde wrote to Naomi Paiss of the New Israel Fund, regarding Mr. Torossian, “Will you help me when they sue us? (Which you know they’re going to do, because they’re nuts).”

In an email dated April 21, 2015 to Naomi Paiss and cc’d to a Jerusalem Post editor, Mr. Linde wrote, “We have already taken a decision never to run a Ronn Torossian op-ed in the paper again. My apologies.”