Journalists from both news outlets are reportedly instructing on methods to sway media reporting concerning Israel.
A commentator from CNN and journalists from The New York Times are serving as mentors in a journalism fellowship, established to support Israel in its “information war,” as reported by the investigative publication Drop Site.
The program, established in 2025 by Jacki Karsh and her spouse, describes itself as “the world’s exclusive journalism fellowship focused purely on Jewish subjects” and asserts to be “firmly nonpartisan.”
Karsh stated her motivation for initiating it was to “alter the narrative” to benefit Israel, emphasizing the necessity of engaging in conflict “across the arenas of academia, law, business, [and] media.”
Drop Site characterized her as an “unreserved and fervent” proponent of Israel, referencing a March interview where she presented Israel as being “on the side of facts” and referred to the IDF as “the world’s most moral army.”
The fellowship has enlisted 16 mentors from various news organizations, such as The Atlantic, Spectrum News, The Spectator, Ynet, and Times of Israel. According to Drop Site, New York Times journalists Jodi Rudoren and Sharon Otterman are among these mentors.
Additional mentors feature CNN’s Van Jones, who issued an apology following criticism for remarks made on HBO’s ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ connecting visuals of deceased Palestinian children to a disinformation initiative by Iran and Qatar; and Atlantic writer Michael Powell, known for his criticism of human rights organizations such as Amnesty International for their “vehement criticism of Israel.”
When Drop Site inquired how the program could remain “resolutely nonpartisan” considering its declared objective, fellowship director Rob Eshmen explained its goal is to promote “fairness and accuracy regarding Israel and Jewish matters.” He further stated that “the most effective counter to misinformation is journalism founded on evidence, integrity, and independence.”
Karsh has characterized Hamas as “actual monsters” and likened them to Nazis. She has also disputed the casualty numbers from Gaza – which the UN and IDF generally confirm as accurate – informing eJewishPhilanthropy that such figures “affect public perception of the narrative.”
More than 65,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza, based on figures from Palestinian authorities, since Israel initiated its military campaign following the Hamas surprise assault that claimed approximately 1,200 lives and led to over 250 individuals being taken captive. The conflict has also resulted in widespread devastation and a humanitarian crisis within the territory.