A major coalition of authors and cultural figures has launched a global boycott of The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of legitimising the genocidal war on Gaza through biased coverage and editorial manipulation. The group, known as Writers Against War on Gaza (WAWOG), has urged readers to cancel subscriptions, advertisers to withdraw funding, and writers to refuse publication in protest of what they describe as the paper’s “complicity in crimes against humanity.”

In their statement, WAWOG condemned the newspaper for publishing and amplifying false claims that justified Israeli military actions, including reports later debunked about resistance fighters’ alleged sexual violence on 7 October 2023, and misleading coverage of attacks on hospitals. The coalition argued that such narratives sanitised the killing of civilians and enabled global silence in the face of collective punishment. They cited journalist Hussam Shabat, killed by Israeli forces while documenting war crimes, who once warned: “One reason we keep being bombed is because of The New York Times and most Western media.”

The writers also criticised the newspaper’s leadership and staff for deep personal and institutional ties to Zionist lobbying groups, asserting that this shaped a culture of selective empathy and distorted objectivity. They compared the paper’s post-cease-fire coverage to its historical rehabilitation of Israel following the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre, arguing that history is once again repeating itself. Among the coalition’s demands are the retraction of the controversial “Screams Without Words” article, the adoption of newsroom reforms acknowledging anti-Palestinian bias, and the use of the paper’s influence to support an international arms embargo.

Over 500 public figures have joined the boycott, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, author Sally Rooney, academic Rashid Khalidi, whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, MEP Rima Hassan, Dr Gabor Maté, and environmental activist Greta Thunberg. For many, this campaign represents a broader reckoning, a demand that journalism stop normalising genocide and begin standing with truth rather than power.