October 18, 2023
Put mildly, Bari Weiss runs a media empire at The Free Press. As such, she can publish whatever she wants and be sure hundreds of thousands of readers will see it. The temptation to feature only those stories she agrees with must be overwhelming and to be sure, the site posts a number of pieces reflecting her thinking. She openly campaigns against what she considers illiberalism in liberal institutions and, more relevant to today, she's a staunch supporter of Israel. Given her position, she could use The Free Press to blanket her readers with pro-Israel material. And yet amidst the stories about Israeli suffering in the wake of the Hamas attacks, she's included this piece by a Gaza man who's lost nine family members in Israel's retaliatory strikes. It's a remarkable instance of journalistic integrity, and it's another reminder of why she's held in such esteem by those who know her.