Jesse Brown lost 9% of his supporters after he began spotlighting antisemitism. Here’s why he won’t stop

Jesse Brown, founder of the popular Canadaland podcast and media company, has come under fire since posting about antisemitism in the wake of Oct. 7. (Photo courtesy of Jesse Brown)

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In the aftermath of Oct. 7, Jesse Brown—who has risen to prominence as a media critic and muckraker with his Canadaland podcast and digital media company—once again stirred up controversy online. But it wasn’t a big news investigation that sparked outrage; it was a series of posts about antisemitic attacks on Canadian Jewish-aligned institutions, from synagogues and community centres to bookstores owned by Jews.

Brown was shocked at the response he got from his own progressive supporters. As he saw it, he was doing what he’d always done: report in objective terms about the ongoing harassment of an ethnic minority on Canadian soil. But not everyone saw it that way. Every day, by the dozens, his supporters dropped off, boycotting him and pressuring his advertisers to do the same.

Ralph Benmergui invited Brown onto Not That Kind of Rabbi to hear what it’s been like going through this public flogging—and also chat about the evolution of news media and where podcasting fits into everything.

Credits

  • Host: Ralph Benmergui
  • Producer: Michael Fraiman
  • Music: Yevhen Onoychenko

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