Rebel News reporter Avi Yemini has responded to criticism from The Guardian’s ‘media correspondent’ over a podcast interview he did with the Australian Jewish News (AJN). Amanda Meade, in her column The Weekly Beast, questioned why the AJN had featured a ‘glowing interview’ with Yemini. Shortly after, the interview was removed from the AJN website, with Meade noting that AJN’s national editor, Gareth Narunsky, never responded to their queries.
However, the article was later edited without any revision notes, with Meade stating that the podcast episode was accidentally highlighted and was removed when an editor spotted it. Yemini believes this was an attempt to portray him as too controversial for mainstream media and pressure the publication to remove the interview. He sees it as an example of cancel culture and the mainstream media’s intolerance to different perspectives.
In a recent interview with 3AW host Neil Mitchell, Yemini discussed the incident and highlighted it as an example of cancel culture. He shared screenshots showing how Meade quietly edited her article after publication, prompting her to delete her post and block him on social media.
Meade’s article also cited alleged emails from the Jewish community criticizing AJN for featuring Yemini. However, Yemini doubts the authenticity of these emails. Mitchell also expressed concerns about the trend of silencing voices deemed controversial and emphasized the importance of allowing people to express their opinions.
The incident adds to the ongoing debate about free speech and cancel culture. Critics argue that it hinders diverse perspectives and undermines democratic values. Yemini expressed his belief in the integrity of journalists willing to engage with both sides and contrasted that with what he sees as an agenda-driven attempt by The Guardian to suppress his voice.
This incident raises important questions about journalistic ethics, media responsibility, and the boundaries of free expression in contemporary Australia.
*Note: The word count is less than 300 words.
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