# 169: A Jesse Brown Christmas, with Rachel Gilmore Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7MbBF-aP1A Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/f7MbBF-aP1A Generated: 2025-12-24T03:30:59.545+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The podcast episode, titled "A Jesse Brown Christmas, with Rachel Gilmore," serves as a comprehensive critique of Jesse Brown and his media outlet, Canada Land, focusing on Brown's perceived descent into irrelevance and propagandistic behavior, particularly regarding his handling of antisemitism discourse and his professional conflicts. **Key Points:** - Hosts Daniel Mate and Matt Lee introduce the episode as a long-awaited discussion focusing on Jesse Brown's 'descent into irrelevance' and shift toward becoming a propagandist. - Guest Rachel Gilmore, an independent journalist, details her background, including working as a Parliament Hill reporter and her subsequent decision to pursue independent journalism after experiencing frustration with mainstream news confines. - Gilmore recounts her experience being dropped from a CTV fact-checking segment during a federal election after being viciously attacked online, largely due to her coverage of the rising white nationalist movement and conservative politicians. - The hosts and Gilmore criticize Jesse Brown for focusing only on a specific type of antisemitism (criticism related to Israel) while ignoring far-right, vicious antisemitism, citing his six-part podcast series on antisemitism co-produced with the Zionist Canadian Jewish News. - A key point of contention is Brown's reaction to Gilmore's critique of Globe and Mail columnist Robin Urbach, where Brown tweeted, "Stop talking over Jews," which the hosts view as Brown over-talking Jews and failing to acknowledge minority experiences being co-opted. - Gilmore suggests Brown may resent her because she has embraced modern content creation tools to do journalism, contrasting with his earlier role as the intrepid up-and-comer challenging legacy media. - The episode highlights Brown's shift from critiquing mainstream media's conflicts of interest (like Peter Mansbridge taking industry speaking fees) to ignoring conflicts involving pro-Israel media figures taking paid trips to Israel funded by groups like the Exigent Foundation. **Context:** This episode of the podcast "Bad Hazbara," hosted by Matt Lee and Daniel Mate, features independent journalist Rachel Gilmore to conduct a deep dive critique of Jesse Brown, the founder of the Canadian media outlet Canada Land. Both hosts and the guest express that many former Canada Land listeners, particularly on the Canadian left, feel disillusioned by Brown's recent direction, moving away from investigative reporting on Canadian issues toward a specific focus on antisemitism framed in a way that alienates pro-Palestine voices. ## Detailed Analysis The hosts and Rachel Gilmore systematically dismantle the current trajectory of Jesse Brown and Canada Land, framing it as a decline from its earlier status as a vital source of progressive media critique and investigative reporting, such as the 'Thunder Bay' series. Gilmore details her personal history in journalism, including her time covering Parliament Hill and her subsequent firing from a CTV fact-checking segment following coordinated attacks from right-wing figures and white nationalists she reported on. A major theme is Brown's perceived hypocrisy regarding conflicts of interest; while he once exposed Peter Mansbridge for taking industry money, he remains silent on conservative columnists taking paid trips to Israel sponsored by foundations linked to former Israeli intelligence figures. Furthermore, the discussion centers on Brown's intense focus post-October 7th on what he defines as antisemitism, often equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism, exemplified by his attack on Gilmore for challenging a Globe and Mail columnist, where Brown told her to 'Stop talking over Jews.' The hosts argue this transactional approach suggests Brown only cares about antisemitism when it affects him or aligns with his current base, contrasting sharply with his previous commitment to covering other forms of bigotry like anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. ### Podcast Introduction & Housekeeping - Hosts Matt Lee and Daniel Mate welcome listeners to the holiday-themed episode and solicit five-star reviews and YouTube subscriptions to reach 50,000 subscribers - They shout out producer Adam Lean and promote the sponsor, United Palestinian Appeal (upaconnect.org). ### Guest Introduction and Context Setting - Rachel Gilmore joins to discuss Jesse Brown and Canada Land, noting that while she was once a fan and subscriber, she recognizes her own aesthetic might clash with the hosts' pun-heavy style - Gilmore notes that many former Canada Land fans are now urging podcasts like Bad Hazbara to cover Brown's actions. ### Journalistic Background of Rachel Gilmore - Gilmore details her path from a lefty high school student to a Carlton journalism graduate who worked as a Parliament Hill reporter for seven years - Her frustration peaked after living in Tunisia when Shireen Abu Akla was murdered, leading her to publish an investigative piece for Global News which was intentionally delayed and ultimately self-published after she left mainstream media. ### Critique of Jesse Brown's Stance on Antisemitism - Gilmore and the hosts contend that Brown claims to be a lone voice on antisemitism in Canada, yet mainstream conservative outlets (like the National Post) constantly publish pro-Israel content - They highlight that Brown partnered with the Zionist Canadian Jewish News for his antisemitism series, pitching it for funding to reach Jewish and university audiences. ### Jesse Brown's Attacks on Rachel Gilmore - The conflict stems from Gilmore questioning a Globe and Mail columnist's framing of anti-Zionism as equivalent to blackface, prompting Brown to accuse Gilmore of 'talking over Jews' - Gilmore suggests Brown may resent her as a younger journalist successfully using modern content creation tools to challenge dominant narratives, including pro-Israel ones. ### Conflict of Interest in Canadian Media - The hosts reveal that several conservative columnists, including those who frequently criticize Gilmore, took paid trips to Israel sponsored by the Exigent Foundation, co-founded by a former ambassador linked to Israeli intelligence, which is journalistic malpractice Brown ignored. ### Inconsistencies in Harassment Discourse - The hosts point out Brown's hypocrisy in defending Eve Angler's right to use the legal system against a perceived harasser (Dalia Curts, who is Jewish) while simultaneously claiming his own outlet should be protected from criticism due to the risk of pile-ons and job loss.