Northwestern University / Medill School of Journalism: The Uninves<gated Rela<onship between

An<semi<sm and the Joint Venture with Al Jazeera, Qatar Founda<on, and the Qatar Government

We strongly advise that Northwestern immediately cease its rela5onship with Al Jazeera.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

Northwestern University’s en7re rela7onship with Qatar is troubling, but the yet-to-be-inves7gated
partnership between NU’s Medill School of Journalism and Qatar-owned and operated Al Jazeera
blatantly contradicts the university’s policy on neutrality, as well as quite possibly US law and na7onal
security interests.

Consider a February 2022 report by Canary Mission finding that “NU-Q trains students to legi7mize
an7semi7c, an7-Israel, an7-American narra7ves in Western media.”1 Between 2013-2019, more than
two-thirds of the Al Jazeera staff members that lectured NU-Q students had either expressed support for
terrorists, demonized Israel, or backed the BoycoW, Divestment, Sanc7ons (BDS) movement.” Canary
Mission reviewed 37 NU-Q academic members or speakers that it profiled and most of the posts
supported terrorism, demonized Israel and Zionists, and supported the BDS Movement. These are Medill
students being exposed to a biased narra7ve as an integral part of their supposed “journalism” training
by one of the premiere journalism schools in the world.

Being in a partnership typically means sharing responsibility for a business, project, or ac7vity in a
fulsome manner with both par7es being accountable and answerable. While we do not have access to
full documenta7on for the NU-Al Jazeera partnership, we know its founding principle:

“NU-Q will conduct consulta5ons with Al Jazeera leadership based on its faculty research
interests and exper5se in the American media industry.”2

This partnership was ini7ally focused on Al Jazeera’s entry into the US market with a separate news
channel. In 7me, Al Jazeera determined to move to an interna7onal English-language channel. The goals
remain the same and the partnership is s7ll touted on Northwestern’s website, and Al Jazeera’s factually
ques7onable material shows up in Northwestern’s assigned course readings on the Evanston campus
regularly.

As men7oned, Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism has consistently ranked among the top
university journalism programs in the world. Journalism has tradi7onally been defined as the wri7ng of
current news and ideas vis a vis the ‘five w’s:” who, what, where, why and when, without the inten7onal
introduc7on of personal or cultural bias.

Indeed, this understanding of journalism is en7rely compa7ble with the moWo of Northwestern
University that states in part: “…. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest…
whatsoever things are pure…whatsoever things are of good report…think on these things.”

1 Source: https://canarymission.cdnazur.com/application/pdf/Northwestern_Qatar_Canary_Mission_Report_Mr2igI.pdf
2 Source: https://www.qatar.northwestern.edu/news/articles/2013/03-nu-q-al-jazeera-mou.html
In other words, academic study of journalism has generally been accepted to reference the inten7on to
report facts in an objec7ve manner. Once a trusted journalism or academic research source becomes
biased, however, it transforms into advocacy or indoctrina7on. A movement toward advocacy in
journalism has emerged, and this is worthy of study at Medill, but that is something quite different from
teaching the basic skills useful in the pursuit of repor7ng objec7ve facts. That dis7nc7on must be made
clear.

Once the study of journalism in academia departs from basic standards of repor7ng objec7ve facts, only
two outcomes are possible: journalism and academia become weaponized in the hands of those who
control it, or journalism and academia become distrusted. Both outcomes are disastrous for a
democra7c society. Unfortunately, Northwestern’s rela7onship with Al Jazeera presents a case study in
how these outcomes transpire.

Owned by the government of Qatar, Al Jazeera cannot possibly func7on as a free and independent news
organiza7on. Having a partnership with either Russia-owned TASS or China-owned Xinhua would make
as much sense for Medill as having one with the state-sponsored news agency of Qatar. None of these
organiza7ons represent our Western standard for free and independent journalism, let alone one that
deserves to be endorsed by Northwestern’s pres7gious Medill School.

Al Jazeera quite clearly betrays basic standards of journalism by being the sanc7oned and singular voice
on behalf of its government, in clear alignment with Qatar’s na7onal priori7es and interests. As part of
its agenda, Al Jazeera rou7nely weaponizes its reports to engender hatred of the West (US interests), of
Jews and of Israel. This bias is blatant and readily apparent in Al Jazeera repor7ng. Moreover, Al Jazeera’s
reporters ogen act as Hamas spokespeople. It is important to note that Hamas was designated as a
Foreign Terrorist Organiza7on in 1997 in accordance with the Immigra7on and Na7onality Act, as
amended (INA).

As has been reported in the press, one example is Khali Dweeb, an Al Jazeera “journalist” who openly
iden7fies with Hamas. Another is Muhammad Wishah, an Al Jazeera “journalist” who was injured in
Gaza, which was also widely reported. While his business card may say “journalist,” his actual posi7on
was as a senior commander in Hamas’ an7-tank group. Evidence is abundant of him teaching Hamas
terrorists how to fire an7-tank missiles and build bombs. Media reports show him as an ac7ve member
of Hamas. He posted live footage from October 7th before much of the sadism of October 7th had been
made public. This means he was an ac7ve part of the massacre, because Hamas decimated anyone on
site that day including Arabs who were not part of their terrorist organiza7on.

Addi7onally, Al Jazeera employee Ismail Abu Omar whose leg was amputated ager an air strike was in
Israel at Kibbutz Nir Oz praising Hamas as the atroci7es were taking place. Among other of his
pronouncements, he said Pales7nian children would “play with their heads.”

Poignantly, as Al Jazeera reveled in the atroci7es of October 7th, it also produced a documentary
“October 7,” claiming its “Inves7ga7ve Unit” had examined the detritus from that fateful day and—
unlike the UN Commission—determined that “many of the worst stories that came out in the days
following the aWack were false.” This included “the mass killing of babies and allega7ons of widespread
and systemic rape.”

On March 24, 2024 Al Jazeera presented, via one of its principle anchors, Elsy Abi Assi, the tes7mony of
Jamila Al-Hessi who claimed that IDF members were raping Pales7nian women and brutally murdering
others in a medical complex. Of course, these allega7ons spread virally. That night another Al Jazeera
employee, Yasser Abuhilalah retracted the claims on behalf of Hamas.

Apparently, Hamas had decided to issue a public denial because the “news” was having the opposite
effect of its inten7on in causing Pales7nians to flee the area when Hamas desired to use them as human
shields. Jamila Al-Hessi jus7fied her claims “to arouse the na7on’s fervor and brotherhood.” In other
words, no facts. Yet, Al Jazeera has even yet to retract these libels, which have had dire consequences on
an American ally in the Middle East as well as the world’s Jewish popula7on.

While there had been previous unfounded allega7ons of IDF members raping and murdering civilians, it
was the “top 7er” status of Al Jazeera that led these claims to reported by many other news outlets with
the imprimatur of Northwestern’s partner.

Even more troubling is Al Jazeera’s airing of Hamas videos prior to their release by Hamas on its own
official channels. That indicates an alarming degree of coopera7on with terrorists.3

While there are many, many examples of Al Jazeera ac7ng inhumanely, we would proffer just one
example that occurred on November 16, 2023, that we hope Northwestern could never consider as
falling within its defini7on of journalism. A mother whose daughter had been kidnapped and was being
held hostage by Hamas consented to an interview with Al Jazeera. Unbeknownst to her, a Hamas official
was added to their conversa7on. The host badgered this mother about poli7cal subjects un7l she finally
hung up. The host then seemed to celebrate his on-air treatment of a bereaved mother.4

These examples and many others make it clear that Al Jazeera is opera7ng as a state-controlled
enterprise and according to Hamas’ agenda. It is also clear that Northwestern is an Al Jazeera partner.
Finally, it is clear that Al Jazeera has defied a US Department of Jus7ce request since 2020 to register as a
Foreign Agent.5

Under Sec7on 219 of INA, a US person or en7ty is forbidden from providing “training, expert advice or
assistance.” Under INA, “training” is defined as “instruc7on or teaching designed to impart a specific
skill, as opposed to general knowledge.” It further provides that “’expert advice and assistance’ means
advice or assistance derived from scien7fic, technical or other specialized knowledge.” It would be
difficult to argue that a university was not able to offer “expert advice and assistance” under the terms of
the act.

We strongly advise that Northwestern immediately cease its rela7onship with Al Jazeera, both in name
and in fact. Northwestern should do so not only for the moral reason that it is aiding and abepng the
mouthpiece of Hamas, thereby endangering Israelis as vic7ms of Hamas atroci7es and Gazan civilians
who are cynically used as human shields. Northwestern is also endangering journalists around the world
who may have their creden7als ques7oned by less humane governments than Israel because of the way
Hamas uses journalists as a cover.

3 Source: h"ps://twi"er.com/i/status/1782062005723291841
4 Source: h"ps://twi"er.com/i/status/1724892129216884978
5 Source: h"ps://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/11/24/al-jazeera-must-register-as-a-foreign-agent-of-qatar/
Further, Northwestern is endangering its own financial posi7on and reputa7on. Finally, and perhaps
most importantly, this or a future administra7on could poten7ally take ac7on against Northwestern,
under INS, causing irreparable harm to the university.

State and local prosecutors could allege wrongdoing under INA. In addi7on, private individuals who are
harmed by Hamas/Al Jazeera could envision taking legal ac7on against Northwestern. Many American
ci7zens were murdered on October 7th. Six American ci7zens are s7ll being held hostage by Hamas. All of
these are poten7al claimants against the university.

We hope you share our concern and can see why Northwestern would be well advised to end this
rela7onship with Al Jazeera immediately. With liWle upside and significant risk to the University, to Medill
and to the US, we see no useful purpose in allowing this partnership to con7nue.

Appendix A

For addi7onal informa7on, please download a comprehensive report issued by Canary Mission in
February 2022, 7tled, “Northwestern Qatar University: Qatar's Mul7million-Dollar Plan to Influence
American Media” please see link in the footnote.6

Appendix B

Source: Canary Mission, February 2022.

6 Source: https://canarymission.cdnazur.com/application/pdf/Northwestern_Qatar_Canary_Mission_Report_Mr2igI.pdf