I am sometimes asked, “How do you make a living doing what you
do?” The answer increasingly is: I don’t. As the question itself suggests, this
is hardly surprising. Few people write critically about Israel and the Middle
East for good reason: it simply does not pay. Newspapers or magazines refuse to
publish articles, however well argued, if they present Israel in too harsh a
light, and especially if they question -- as I do -- what kind of state Israel
is.
Once, that meant that readers could not easily find articles offering a
different perspective on Israel or its conflict with the Palestinians.
Thankfully, that is no longer true today. The internet has opened up new
possibilities, giving writers like me the opportunity and space to publish our
views, without having to tone them down to satisfy editors, proprietors and
advertisers.
But this new-found freedom has a downside: websites, especially those serving
the progressive community, rarely pay for articles. I have been writing like
this for several years and find it increasingly difficult to support myself.
Without additional funding, sooner or later I will face a choice: either return
to paid writing for mainstream publications, accepting the inevitable
constraints, or abandon my writing altogether and seek other kinds of work.
If you value what I do, and would like to help, your financial support would be
greatly appreciated.
How you can help:
By making a credit or debit card payment using PayPal
You
do not need a PayPal account, and the connection is secure.
By
sending a cheque
made payable to “J K Cook” and
sending it to the address shown below. Cheques drawn in a currency other than
sterling may be subject to transaction charges. If in
doubt, please consult your own bank before sending. I hope to eventually be able
to handle cheques drawn in euros or dollars.
Jonathan Cook
PO Box 215
Nazareth
16101
Israel
By setting up a Standard
Order
I have drafted a
sample for you. The form can also be
downloaded in "doc" or "pdf" format and needs to be handed
in to your bank.
