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More than 50 tenured journalism professors and scholars from leading US universities have called for a comprehensive external review of The New York Times' investigative front-page story on sexual violence perpetrated during the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
The professors, hailing from institutions including New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern and the University of Texas, urged the newspaper to commission a group of journalism experts to conduct a thorough and full independent review of the reporting, editorial procedures and overall publication process for the story, and to release a report of findings.
The lengthy investigative story "‘Screams Without Words’: Sexual Violence on Oct 7”, which was published in December under the byline of international correspondent Jeffrey Gettleman and two freelancers, detailed how Hamas used sexual assault during the attacks.
Shortly after the story was published, questions arose about its accuracy.
Family members of one of the women killed in the attack, who was prominently featured in the report, challenged the claim that she had been raped.
Discrepancies in the testimony provided by a witness cited in the article drew further scrutiny.
The decision to send the letter came after persistent criticism from external observers and growing dissatisfaction within the Times' own ranks about the credibility of the story.
The letter, obtained by The National, was sent on Monday to Times publisher AG Sulzberger, executive editor Joe Kahn and international editor Philip Pan.
Two hundred days of Israel Gaza war – in pictures
Signatories include Mohamad Bazzi from New York University, Andrew Butters from University of Texas at Austin, AJ Christian from Northwestern University, Larry Gross from University of Southern California and Sarah J Jackson from the University of Pennsylvania, among others.
Shahan Mufti, a professor at the University of Richmond, told The National that the intent behind the letter was to prompt the publication to “eventually concede that there are problems with the story and retract it or at least correct it”.
“But for some reason the Times is digging its heels deeper and deeper even as the story continues to disintegrate,” he said.
“The stakes are just so high with this particular story because of what it was about and the time at which it was published.
“As we point out in the letter, when the International Court of Justice is talking about plausible genocide and UN agencies are warning of man-made famine, then it’s all the more important that any errors with previous reporting are recognised and corrected quickly.”
The letter conceded that it is an “impossible task” to produce “perfectly accurate drafts of history in real time”.
The letter stated that if an independent review clears the publication of serious wrongdoing, it will benefit not only the Times but journalism as a whole.
It added that, if the investigation uncovers significant errors or negligence, the publication would not be able to “reverse the damage done to Palestine and to Palestinians, but ... could still reverse some of the damage it has done to itself with its silence”.
Either way, the letter concluded, an immediate review “is the only responsible and credible thing to do”.
“Whether we like it or not, for better or worse, the Times often sets the bar for journalistic standards in America,” Mr Mufti said.
“If the Times starts lowering ethical standards, you can be sure that others will, too.”
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Wonka
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing