Jonathan Cook

Jonathan Cook (born in 1965 in Buckinghamshire, England) is a British freelance journalist based in Nazareth, Israel, who has published in "The Guardian", "The Observer", "ZNet", "Electronic Intifada", "CounterPunch", Al Jazeera and Information Clearing House. He authored the book "".

He states that as a freelance journalist and as the "first foreign correspondent to be based in the Israeli Arab city of Nazareth, in the Galilee",cite web|last = Cook | first = Jonathan | authorlink = Jonathan Cook | coauthors = | title = Jonathan Cook website | work = | publisher = Jonathan Cook News Archive | date = | url = http://www.jkcook.net/ | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2006-10-14 ] he has a unique perspective unavailable to Western journalists based in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv in Israel, or Ramallah in the West Bank.

Cook has written in the "Guardian" newspaper in Britain that there was "a relentless campaign to target, discredit and silence critics of Israel." [ [http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_cook/2007/08/the_propaganda_machine.html Comment is free: The propaganda machine ] ] Commenting 'Why my reporting is different' on his website, Cook states that:

Professionally, I am one of the few journalists regularly writing about the region who work as an independent freelancer. I choose the issues I wish to cover, so I am not constrained by the ‘treadmill’ of the mainstream media, which require an endless flow of instant copy and analysis. I am also not tied to the mainstream agenda, which gives disproportionate coverage to the concerns of the powerful, in this case the Israeli and American positions - in the US media to a degree that makes much of their Israel/Palestine reporting implausible. I also rarely accept commissions, restricting myself to topics that I consider to be the most revealing about the conflict. [ [http://www.jkcook.net/ Jonathan Cook's News Archive - Israel Palestine]

Background

Cook was born in 1965, educated and raised in Buckinghamshire, England although since September 2001 he has been a freelance writer, based in Nazareth, Israel, covering the Middle East.

Cook has received a BA Honours in Philosophy and Politics from Southampton University in 1987, a Postgraduate diploma in Journalism from Cardiff University in 1989 and a Masters degree in Middle Eastern studies, with distinction, from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University, 2000.

He has been a reporter and editor of regional newspapers between 1988-94, a freelance sub-editor with national newspapers between 1994-96, a staff member of The Guardian and Observer newspapers between 1996-2001, a freelance writer, based in Nazareth, Israel, covering the Middle East since September 2001.

He is also the founder of the Nazareth Press Agency in February 2004.

Debate with Human Rights Watch

In regard to reporting on the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Cook claimed that Human Rights Watch (HRW) made statements regarding the intentions of Israel and Hezbollah to target or to avoid targeting civilians which were not justified by the available evidence.cite web | last = Cook | first = Jonathan | authorlink = Jonathan Cook | coauthors = | title = How Human Rights Watch lost its way in Lebanon | work = | publisher = Electronic Intifada | date = 7 September 2006 | url = http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article5698.shtml | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2006-10-14 ] A representative of HRW responded, defending the organisation's objectivity.cite web | last = Whitson | first = Sarah Leah | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Hezbollah's Rockets and Civilian Casualties: A Response to Jonathan Cook | work = | publisher = Counterpunch | date = September 22, 2006 | url = http://www.counterpunch.org/whitson09222006.html | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2006-10-14 ] Cook countered that he did not criticise the empirical aspects of HRW's research, only its interpretation of that research.cite web | last = Cook | first = Jonathan | authorlink = Jonathan Cook | coauthors = | title = Human Rights Watch still denying Lebanon the right to defend itself | work = | publisher = Z Communications | date = September 26, 2006 | url = http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=11048 | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2006-10-14 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.jkcook.net/ Official Website]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-973170929151170880&hl=en Video: Jonathan Cook - Blood and Religion: Unmasking the Jewish and Democratic State] (December 28, 2006), interview.