Where’s Our Apology From Johann Hari?
September 22, 2011 11:40 by Simon Plosker
Johann Hari
On September 15, Johan Hari, a journalist for the UK’s Independent, published a “personal apology” following the exposure of his widespread plagiarism and dishonest journalism. It included the following:
The other thing I did wrong was that several years ago I started to notice some things I didn’t like in the Wikipedia entry about me, so I took them out. To do that, I created a user-name that wasn’t my own. … But in a few instances, I edited the entries of people I had clashed with in ways that were juvenile or malicious: I called one of them anti-Semitic and homophobic, and the other a drunk. I am mortified to have done this, because it breaches the most basic ethical rule: don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you. I apologise to the latter group unreservedly and totally.
To recall, HonestReporting also exposed Hari’s use of false quotations amongst many other particularly vicious attacks on Israel. In return, rather than addressing those charges, Hari launched a full-on assault on ourselves and a number of other organizations and individuals, which included the claim that we:
spray accusations of anti-Semitism so liberally that by their standards, a majority of Jewish Israelis have anti-Semitic tendencies.
After seeing Hari’s “apology” and his confession that he had, in fact, abused the term “anti-Semitism” for his own malicious ends, we sent the following letter to The Independent on September 18:
In 2008, HonestReporting exposed Johann Hari’s use of false quotations to attack Israel. Hari’s response, as published in The Independent, was to smear HonestReporting and a number of other organizations and individuals with the outrageous charge that we “spray accusations of anti-Semitism so liberally that by their standards, a majority of Jewish Israelis have anti-Semitic tendencies.”
Now that Hari has publicly apologized for tampering with his critics’ Wikipedia pages to brand them as anti-Semites, perhaps Hari should also apologize to HonestReporting and others that he has accused of abusing the term “anti-Semitism” while engaging in exactly that. Despite his protestations, HonestReporting has never accused Hari of being an anti-Semite.
We have, however, charged Hari with faulty and unethical journalism – a charge that has been unequivocally proven by Hari’s own admissions. Smearing one’s critics rather than addressing the substance of the criticism is unbecoming of any credible journalist. HonestReporting and other past critics of Hari’s writing deserve more than his contrite apology published in The Independent.
The letter has not been published by The Independent. In addition, Hari reveals in his “apology” that he is taking a leave of absence until 2012, when he will return to The Independent.
With The Independent successfully sued over a false Robert Fisk story and Johann Hari’s misdemeanors, there’s something rotten in The Independent. The paper chooses to sweep these problems under the carpet in the hope that they will be forgotten rather than uprooting them.
In any other business it would mean the end of one’s career. Not, however, for Johann Hari and his employers.
» Where’s Our Apology From Johann Hari? Freedom Alert!: Defending American Freedom by exposing Radical Islam, Socialist, Liberals, and all the Enemies of Freedom, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness!
4:49 pm
Sep 22, 2011
[...] article can be viewed at Where’s Our Apology From Johann Hari? on [...]
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» Where’s Our Apology From Johann Hari? Freedom Alert!: Defending American Freedom by exposing Radical Islam, Socialist, Liberals, and all the Enemies of Freedom, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness!
4:49 pm
Sep 22, 2011
[...] article can be viewed at Where’s Our Apology From Johann Hari? on [...]
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steve mann
6:48 pm
Sep 22, 2011
Dont hold your breath for an apology-
These people have a serious anti-Zionist agenda- How they come to support the likes of Hamas confounds me- Their ideologies are diametrically opposed to each other.
You have an atheist left wing doctrine supporting a theocratic/politico ideology. Especially when it revolves around he laws of Sharia.
Maybe its a case of “My enemies enemy”……
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dorothy
7:02 pm
Sep 22, 2011
Once u spread something on the news, it is hard to take it out of the minds of people.
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Deacontiger
7:43 pm
Sep 22, 2011
It is well known that the Musil propaganda machine pay’s out meny hunderds of thousand’s $
media writers and jurnalists, it is there for hardly surprising that lie’s, and outright hate invention’s are printed, hoping that they will not be taken to task.
As is the case with this sorry individual.
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John
9:08 pm
Sep 22, 2011
It may or may not be known or well known, however, the number of people that do or don’t know is irrelevant to the truth or falsity of the rest of your statement.. That said, if it is so well known, please share your sources. I’m for Israel, but you can’t use the same sloppy techniques you castigate others for, and expect to find a lot of agreement.
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Abu Nudnik
8:21 pm
Sep 22, 2011
NBC forced Dan Rather out for knowingly publishing a forged document and then standing behind it and stating that, though the document was forged, he still believed the story the document purported too support was true. Imagine a cop saying that in a trial: “we did plant evidence, true, but we know the accused is guilty.”
NBC requires credibility to survive so Rather went. So… what’s the Independent’s source of income? I’d follow the money to see why the obvious course of action – relieving undependable journalists of their jobs – isn’t happening.
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Mike Shapiro
10:39 pm
Sep 22, 2011
Obviously, Hari is a celebrity. This is a typical celeb apology, to wit:
“I’m sorry that you took offense at what I said.”
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Roger G. Bensman
1:01 am
Sep 23, 2011
Y’know, I sent this sad sack of drek a note exposing him quite factually. Here’s your problem: You are wasting important time, money, effort, and emotion doing battle with a cypher. This is something(not even a somebody) who deserves no attention. We’re talking irrelevency, unimportance, insignificance.
Matter of fact, why am I even sending in such a response? Oh, I have it: I am practicing my magnificant writing skills. That and nothing more. Please just ignore. We all have more important fish to fry, as the saying goes.
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Roger G. Bensman
1:04 am
Sep 23, 2011
I see I have made a spelling error; allow me to correct magnificant to magnificent. There……
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Brent Pudsey
4:37 am
Sep 23, 2011
Johann Hari has committed a serious breach of journalism and is doing the right thing by taking a leave of absence. Spreading intolerance and not fact checking and using crediable sources is extremly serious. Influential writers, journalists, bloggers and editorial personel have a huge influence on public perception. By reporting news in a bias way they are spreading hatred and intolerence. Which is what Mr. Hari has done against the Jews and Israel.
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sav'ta shel Cohen
11:57 am
Sep 23, 2011
The Independent sounds like a real rag! Who owns it or probably more to the point who funds it? And what kind of a baby man is this Hari? If I have it straight I think this is what he is really saying: “I started to notice some things I didn’t like so … I did a con job. I pretended to be someone I wasn’t, deleted information about myself that hurt my feelings, altered information about other people who made me cry because I didn’t have the beitzim to take them on openly and then just to prove how tough I really was, did something particularly courageous, that no one has ever done before and had a shot at the Jews! Now I am mightily mortified because I got caught and I am giving this rather vague and confusing apology to the ‘latter group’ i.e. the drunks, in the hope that I will look so pathetic people will believe I have the IQ of a fence post and feel sorry for me.” Yep, that sounds like what he was saying – to my way of thinking anyway. Must go and have a look at what Wiki says about him now!
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steve mann
12:00 pm
Sep 24, 2011
I think a Muslim “So called Journalist” -somebody …Aliia Brown- has a fair input-She gets quite a few spots on the BBC as well. Then I think that “Skewed” mentally inadequate writer Robert Fisk, might be involved-
But as sure as “Eggs are Eggs”- The Independent is probably the most anti-Israeli paper in the UK-
To which I am sure it will be “Proud” to hear me say it!
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Emes
12:30 am
Sep 25, 2011
Who needs an apology from someone who sports a simpering, bland punim who is also probably uncircumsised to boot, cavelier by his own admission in his hatred of Jews and Israel.
A leopard doesn’t change its spots, so empty words of an apology would be equally as hollow as all the affirmation and statements as those promising Israel aid and security in exchange for land. In that respect not even an inch should have been given away – Its Gd’s land and peace has never even been, nor will be allowed whilst slithering idiots resort to lies and distortions hiding behind journalistic licence.
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ambrosine shitrit
11:31 am
Oct 08, 2011
Yasmin alibai brown -Madame Boycott Israel. Married to an ex PLO member, a muslim kenyan born Asian. Regularly on LBC London radio, spouting quite a lot of anti-white venom, (racism) on the “Nick Ferrari” show (and I do love Nick),along with her avoidance of what’s rotten in her own “back yard”. Have you noticed how news orgs,tv are now hiring all the anti-Israel “bloggers”?
Hariri anti zionist, anti Israeli homosexuaL, who supports those who wish to hange gays, like all there “left wing”counterparts.
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