On Friday, The New York Times said that it has taken “appropriate action” against its journalist Natasha Frost after it found that she had leaked private information from a WhatsApp group in which over 600 Australian Jewish creatives had sought solidarity amid rising antisemitism, sparking a wave of doxing attacks. The doxing attacks started after Natasha Frost downloaded 900 pages of content from the said WhatsApp group and first shared it with the subject of an article she worked on and later with pro-Palestine ‘activists’.
Reports say that Jewish anti-Zionist activists Elsa Tuet-Rosenberg, artists Matt Chun and Zaineb Mazloum, and anti-Israel activist Clementine Ford were spearheading the doxxing campaign.
Notably, Natasha Frost, whose New York Times author page still states she writes for the newspaper’s “Europe Morning Briefing” newsletter, told the Wall Street Journal that she had shared the 900-page data she downloaded with only one person. She claimed to have been unaware of the data’s further dissemination and misuse to doxx Jews.
“I shared this document with one individual. Its subsequent dissemination and misuse happened entirely without my knowledge or consent. I was shocked by these events, which put me and many others at terrible risk. I deeply regret my decision,” Frost said.
Ironically, while in the “journalistic ethics” section of her NYT bio, Natasha Frost said that she “strives for accuracy, fairness and neutrality” in her reporting, the last two are evidently missing from her conduct.
Meanwhile, the New York Times in a statement said that they have taken ‘appropriate action’ against Frost. “It has been brought to our attention that a New York Times reporter inappropriately shared information with the subject of a story to assist the individual in a private matter, a clear violation of our ethics. This was done without the knowledge or approval of The Times,” a NYT spokeswoman said.
Notably, Natasha Frost leaked the WhatsApp group’s contents, which was created in late October 2023 to provide assistance in the context of increased antisemitism after the 7th October attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists. It comprised people with diverse political, cultural, and religious beliefs. Natasha Frost was invited to this group in November last year.
After Frost shared information about the 600 members of the Jewish group with pro-Palestine activists, they began facing threats and boycotts. In February this year, it was reported that Jewish children in Australia were threatened and several members of the community lost their livelihood. “The group was labelled “Zio600” and accused of supporting “genocide, racism and white supremacism”. “Zio” is a slang and generally abusive term for Zionist. Photographs and business details of many individuals were distributed online,” a Jewish Independent report published in February this year reads.
In December, several group members began calling for action against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for hiring journalist Antoinette Lattouf as a part-time radio broadcaster. Lattouf triggered outrage on social media after accusing Israel of war crimes.
ABC terminated Lattouf midway through her five-day contract, causing her to file a case alleging racial discrimination. Frost’s co-byline appeared on a NYT story on 23rd January about Lattouf’s termination. Natasha Frost left the WhatsApp group several days before the report was published. Soon after, the details of the WhatsApp group members appeared on various websites, where pro-Palestinian internet users widely circulated them.
A spreadsheet was created listing the names, photos, job descriptions, and quotes from the WhatsApp group. In February, Clementine Ford notorious for her anti-Israel views shared the said WhatsApp group’s contents on social media.
