Journalists and Academic Journal Editor Fired Over Remarks, Social Media Posts Supporting Palestinians

Dismissals over social media comments on Israel-Hamas conflict spark debate around freedom of speech and influence of social and political views on employment.

Sports writer Jackson Frank from PhillyVoice and Michael Eisen, editor-in-chief of academic journal eLife, have been fired from their positions due to comments supporting Palestinians during the recent Israel-Hamas conflict.
Michael Eisen, who is Jewish and has Israeli family members, faced backlash for his response to a satirical news piece by The Onion about the conflict, stating that it spoke with 'more courage, insight and moral clarity' than academic institutions. Eisen also expressed his horror at the punishment being inflicted on Gazans.
The board of directors at eLife decided to replace Eisen, citing his approach to leadership and communication, especially his social media conduct, as detrimental to the cohesion of the community they were trying to build.
Jackson Frank was dismissed from his role at PhillyVoice after condemning a statement by the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team expressing solidarity with Israel and mourning the lives lost to Hamas' attacks.
The firing of these individuals has ignited a debate around freedom of speech and the influence of personal, social, and political views on employment. Several others in the media industry have faced similar consequences for their comments on the conflict.