Responding to Time Magazine's antisemitism

Shalom CAMERA E-Mail Team:

Thank you and congratulations to everyone for the excellent work in responding to the outrageous September 13, 2010, Time Magazine cover and accompanying story. Many letter-writers contacted both Time and several of its advertisers. We want to update you on reactions
In the September 27 edition, Time noted it had received more than 1000 letters about the offensive cover and story, most of them protesting it. Nine letters were printed, two of which came from CAMERA's letter writing group!
A number of CAMERA letter-writers who wrote to managing editor Richard Stengel received brief, personal responses which did not address the bigoted and offensive cover, but thanked the writers for their "thoughts." He gave no indication that serious action would be taken to redress the message conveyed.
In addition, CAMERA letter-writers who contacted advertisers heard back from Starbucks, Intel and E*TRADE, all of whom appeared concerned about their products being associated with both the cover and the article. Intel was especially responsive; Chuck Molloy, of Intel's Corporate Communications Department, responded to a letter-writer both by phone and with the following email:
"The Time Magazine piece in no way reflects Intel's point of view regarding Israel. Additionally, the mechanisms that are in place to prevent ads appearing under controversial circumstances did not work and we are looking into this. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your message to the marketing people responsible for our advertising placement."
Another letter-writer received a phone call from a member of the E*TRADE "management team" expressing "sincere apologies for the article in Time Magazine."
(Please see "In Detail" below for contact information for both the advertisers appearing in our earlier Alert as well as all the rest of the advertisers appearing in the September 13 edition)
Obviously, Time's publication of a mere nine letters does not address the harm done by its inflammatory imagery and message promoting the bigoted notion that Israelis are indifferent to peace – as long as they're making money.
ACTION ITEMS to / Top / In Brief / Action Item
Please use the information in the alert as background for your own letter. Do not copy and paste directly from the alert and do not forward it to the media.

• Please contact Time's parent company Time Warner and tell the CEO that publishing nine letters does not begin to redress the damage the publication has done. One step toward offering the public a counterpoint to the misinformation spread would be for editors to run a cover story on the troubling global campaign to delegitimize Israel. This would include reporting on the pervasive anti-Jewish rhetoric in the Muslim and Arab world that demonizes the Jewish people and nation, promotes hatred and violence and helps thwart regional peace.
Contact Jeffrey L. Bewkes, Chairman and CEO, Time Warner, Inc.
Phone (212) 484-8000.
• Continue to contact Time's advertisers to express concerns about their associating their products and their reputation with a magazine that believes it can get away with marketing itself by playing on anti-Semitic and anti-Israel sentiment. (Below is a complete list of advertisers from the September 13 edition.)
• Please send blind copies (bcc) to letters@camera.org
IN DETAIL to / Top / In Brief / Action Item
The September 13, 2010 edition of Time, with its cover depicting a Star of David surrounding the headline "Why Israel Doesn't Care About Peace" and accompanying story, played on old stereotypes of Jews who care more about making money and enjoying hedonistic lifestyles than about anything else — as if sitting on the beach and yearning for peace are mutually exclusive. In reality, Israel cares a lot about making peace, but, understandably and appropriately, hasn't put its collective life on hold until that peace comes, a point made repeatedly in the published letters to the editor.
As many have noted, the article, while shallow and biased, wasn't as offensive as the cover — but for many, exposure to the cover was all they got. (Time has a print circulation of 4,000,000.) For his part, Karl Vick, the article's author and Jerusalem Bureau Chief, has distanced himself from the incendiary cover, blaming Time's editors for both the headline and the graphic. Interviewed on Shalom TV, he said: "It was not my title ... people who put together the covers [of magazines] are probably trying to be as provocative as they can ..."
In addition, Karl Vick has toured the northern West Bank and said he is considering a "sequel" to his article. If Vick does write a "sequel," instead of repeating the bias and superficiality of the first article, he should address — head on — the campaigns of hatred and delegitimazation of Israel emanating from Muslim and Arab media, mosques and political discourse.
Here are the advertisers already provided in our earlier Alert:
E*TRADE: Call 646-521-4300 and ask for Steven J. Freiberg, CEO; or email: Steven.freiberg@etrade.com
Intel: Call (408) 765-8080 and ask to speak to CEO Paul Otellini or submit a comment on their Corporate Responsibility "Contact Us" form: http://www.intel.com/about/corporateresponsibility/contactus/index.htm.
Rosetta Stone: Call or send an email to the Director of Public Relations Reilly Brennan at (703) 387-5863 or email rbrennan@rosettastone.com
Starbucks: Call 206-447-1575 and ask for Howard D. Schultz, Founder, Chairman, CEO and President; or call Starbucks Customer Relations at 1-800-23-LATTE; or fill out the "Contact Us" form and choose "Corporate Social Responsibility" at http://www.starbucks.com/customer-service/contact/company-information-form.
Here are the others that appeared in the September 13 edition:
AT&T: Call 210-821-4105 and ask for Randall L. Stephenson, Chairman, CEO, President and Chairman of Executive Committee or email: Maria Schnabel (Corporate Citizenship) at ms5974@att.com or Mark Siegel (Corporate Issues) at mark.a.siegel@att.com.
Barclay's Capital Investment Bank: Call U.S. offices at 404-262-4800 (Atlanta) or 617- 330- 5800 (Boston).
Bose: Call 508-879-7330 and ask for Chairman and CEO Amar G. Bose.
Bridgestone Tires: Fill out the "Contact Us" form at http://bridgestonetire.com/Index_BS_EN.aspx?src=contact
General Motors: Call: 313-556-5000 and ask for Chairman, Edward E. Whitacre Jr., CEO and Director or fill out the "Contact Us" form at www.gm.com/utilities/contact_us/contact.jsp?deep=form&advertising
Hilton Hotels (DoubleTree): Call 703-883-1000 and ask for President and CEO Christopher J. Nassetta or fill out the "Contact Us" form at http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_us/dt/customersupport/feedback.do.
PNC Bank: Call 412-762-2000 and ask for James E. Rohr, Chairman and CEO or email corporate.communications@pnc.com.
Saab: Call 248-705-0604 (Cell) or 248-581-0856 (Office) and ask for Michele Tinson, Director, Communications, or fill out the "Contact Us" form at www.saabusa.com/saabjsp/contactus/.
Tempur-Pedic: Call 800-510-8323 and ask for CEO and President Mr. Dale E. Williams or email marketing@tempurpedic.com
Toyota: Call 310-468-4000 and ask for Group VP and CIO Barbra Cooper or fill out the "Contact Us" form at http://toyota.custhelp.com/app/utils/login_form/redirect/ask_intercept.
United HealthCare: Call 860-702-5000 and ask for President and CEO Gail K. Boudreaux.