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'''Batya Ungar-Sargon''' is an American journalist and author. She is the deputy opinion editor of ''[[Newsweek]]''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-25 |title=Batya Ungar-Sargon {{!}} AJC |url=https://www.ajc.org/bio/batya-ungar-sargon |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=[[American Jewish Committee]] |language=en}}</ref> and formerly served as the opinion editor of ''[[The Forward]]''.<ref>[https://www.encounterbooks.com/authors/batya-ungar-sargon/ "Batya Ungar-Sargon"], [[Encounter Books]]</ref><ref>[https://www.c-span.org/video/?515525-5/washington-journal-batya-ungar-sargon-discusses-book-bad-news-woke-media-undermining-democracy&event=515525&playEvent "Batya Ungar-Sargon on Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy"], ''[[Washington Journal]], October 24, 2021''</ref> She is the author of two books, including ''Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America's Working Men and Women'', which addresses issues related to the [[working class in the United States]] and its relationship with the [[elite]].

==Education==
Ungar-Sargon is of [[Jews|Jewish]] descent.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Batya Ungar-Sargon: Author of Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy |url=https://robertbryce.com/episode/batya-ungar-sargon-author-of-bad-news-how-woke-media-is-undermining-democracy/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Robert Bryce - Author {{!}} Journalist {{!}} Public Speaker |language=en}}</ref> She is the daughter of Julian Ungar-Sargon, a [[Neurology|neurologist]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ungar-Sargon |first=Julian |date=2020-11-08 |title=I grew up with Jonathan Sacks. What his loss means for the Jewish world. |url=https://forward.com/community/458123/i-grew-up-with-jonathan-sacks-what-his-loss-means-for-the-jewish-world/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref> She attended high school in [[Israel]].<ref>Left blank intentionally{{Cite news|first=Batya|last=Ungar-Sargon|authorlink=Batya Ungar-Sargon|title=I Was Protested At Bard College For Being A Jew|newspaper=[[The Forward]]|date=October 13, 2019|url=https://forward.com/opinion/433082/i-was-protested-at-bard-college-for-being-a-jew/|via=|archive-url=|archive-date=}}</ref> She earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in English from the [[University of Chicago]] in 2004 and completed a Ph.D. in English at the [[University of California, Berkeley]], in 2013. Her dissertation, titled ''Coercive Pleasures: The Force and Form of the Novel 1719–1740'', examines, among other elements, how [[rape]] and [[colonialism]] contributed to the development of modern English fiction.<ref>{{Cite web |first= Batya |last=Ungar-Sargon |title=Coercive Pleasures: The Force and Form of the Novel 1719-1740 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1526012954?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true&sourcetype=Dissertations%20&%20Theses}}</ref>

== Career ==
Ungar-Sargon began her career as a journalist and news analyst, reporting on topics such as the rights of [[Undocumented immigrants (U.S.)|undocumented immigrants]] and liberal perspectives on Israel and [[American Jews]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/immigrants-fate-depends-access-lawyers/ |title=Immigrants' Fate Depends on Access to Lawyers|date=December 28, 2015|website=The Brian Lehrer Show}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/11/23/how-the-israel-lobby-captured-hillel-international-college-campus/|title=How the Israel Lobby Captured Hillel|website=Foreign Policy|date=November 23, 2015}}</ref> In 2019, she discussed the significance of developing an American Jewish identity that is distinct from Israeli politics and aligned with civil and minority rights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_ko8wQ78Bc|title=Across the Divide: Understanding the Generational Gap|date=2019|website=YouTube}}</ref> She also served as managing editor at the wine and spirits media outlet VinePair.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://vinepair.com/author/batya/| title=About Batya Ungar-Sargon}}</ref>

In 2017, Ungar-Sargon became the opinion editor at ''The Forward''. During her tenure, she faced criticism from some commentators on the [[Left-wing politics|political left]], who accused her of [[Weaponization of antisemitism|weaponizing claims of antisemitism]] in a politically charged manner and of displaying a [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]], [[Zionism|Zionist]] editorial stance.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Zonszein |first=Mairav |title=What happened to The Forward? |url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/the-forward.php/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Columbia Journalism Review |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Burton |first=Nylah |date=2019-05-19 |title=The Forward’s "Both Sides" Approach Has Failed |url=https://jewishcurrents.org/the-forward-s-both-sides-approach-has-failed |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=[[Jewish Currents]] |language=en}}</ref>

Ungar-Sargon has contributed to various publications, including ''[[The Washington Post]]'', the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[Foreign Policy]]'', ''[[The Daily Beast]]'', ''[[The New York Review of Books]]'', and ''[[The Free Press (newsletter)|The Free Press]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-22 |title=Batya Ungar-Sargon |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/batya-ungar-sargon |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=The Daily Beast |language=en}}</ref><ref>[https://www.nybooks.com/contributors/batya-ungar-sargon/ "Batya Ungar-Sargon"], ''[[The New York Review of Books]]''</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Batya Ungar-Sargon |url=https://www.thefp.com/t/batya-ungar-sargon |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=[[The Free Press (newsletter)|The Free Press]]|language=en}}</ref>

In 2019, Ungar-Sargon publicly criticized United States Representative [[Ilhan Omar]] on [[Twitter]], alleging that Omar had employed [[Antisemitic trope|antisemitic tropes]] by suggesting that financial motivations underlie U.S. support for Israel. In response, Omar stated that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee ([[AIPAC]]) influenced politicians. The exchange drew criticism of Omar’s comments, leading to a public apology from the congresswoman.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Sullivan|first1=Kate|last2=Watkins|first2=Eli|last3=Raju|first3=Manu|title=Omar: ‘I unequivocally apologize’ after backlash over new Israel tweets|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/11/politics/ilhan-omar-aipac-backlash/index.html |access-date=January 21, 2025|website=[[CNN]]|language=en}}</ref>

In 2020, Ungar-Sargon was selected for the 2021 Civil Society Fellowship, a program of the [[Anti-Defamation League]] and the [[Aspen Institute]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forward.com/culture/458812/the-forwards-batya-ungar-sargon-chosen-for-adl-and-aspen-institute-civil/|title=The Forward’s Batya Ungar-Sargon chosen for ADL and Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellowship|date=November 19, 2020|website=The Forward}}</ref>

In 2021, Ungar-Sargon published ''[[Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy]]''. The book argues that contemporary media has shifted from [[Class consciousness|class-conscious]] reporting toward [[Race-conscious policy|race-conscious]] coverage, which she contends caters primarily to affluent, educated, urban audiences.{{sfn|Stengel|2023}}{{sfn|González-Gallarza|2021}}

==Political views==
Ungar-Sargon has described a shift in her political views over time. In the 2010s, she identified as an [[Liberalism in the United States|American liberal]], but in the 2020s, she reported distancing herself from that ideology.<ref name="JPost April 2024">{{cite news |last=Klein |first=Amy |date=13 April 2024 |title=In her new book, Batya Ungar-Sargon speaks on why Jews need to rethink their alliances |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-796636 |work=[[Jerusalem Post]] |location= |access-date=23 October 2024}}</ref> In 2021, [[Bari Weiss]] characterized Ungar-Sargon as a [[Left-wing populism|left-wing populist]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Batya Ungar-Sargon|date=1 November 2021|title=How Journalism Abandoned the Working Class|url=https://www.thefp.com/p/how-journalism-abandoned-the-working|work=[[The Free Press (online newsletter)|The Free Press]]|location=|access-date=23 October 2024}}Left blank intentionally </ref> Ungar-Sargon later adopted this label herself in 2023, though she noted that some observers view her as echoing right-wing viewpoints.<ref name="Spiked Feb 2023">{{cite news |author=Batya Ungar-Sargon |date=15 February 2023 |title=The left has given up on ordinary Americans |url=https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/02/15/the-left-has-given-up-on-ordinary-americans/ |work=[[Spiked (magazine)|Spiked]] |location= |access-date=23 October 2024}} </ref> She attributed this perception to her focus on [[social class]], which she argued has been deprioritized by the political left and adopted by elements of the political right.<ref name="Spiked Feb 2023"/> In a June 2022 interview with [[Dennis Prager]], Ungar-Sargon described herself as a [[Marxism|Marxist]].<ref>{{cite web | title= Fireside Chat Ep. 240: Q&A with Self-Described Marxist Batya Ungar-Sargon |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT0KoxTHVMw&t=194s}}</ref>

In an April 2024 interview with Newsweek, Ungar-Sargon expressed support for limiting [[immigration to the United States]], reducing [[welfare fraud]], expanding [[Vocational education|vocational training]], implementing a government-backed catastrophic health care plan, eliminating degree requirements for jobs that do not necessitate them, banning software that filters applicants based on educational credentials, reforming [[zoning]] laws to increase [[urban density]], expanding the [[Child tax credit (United States)|child tax credit]], and expanding [[Tariff|tariffs]] on foreign goods.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wolf Schizer|first=Meredith|date=3 April 2024|title=Free College Won't Make the American Dream Attainable for the Working Class|url=https://www.newsweek.com/2024/04/12/free-college-wont-make-american-dream-attainable-working-class-1885626.html|work=[[Newsweek]]|location=|access-date=23 October 2024}}Left blank intentionally </ref>

Ungar-Sargon has expressed criticism of [[Environmental politics|environmental]] and [[green politics]], asserting that such movements often reflect elite priorities and neglect the interests of working-class communities. She argues that progressive opposition to environmentally harmful industries like [[coal mining]] often overlook perceived economic benefits these jobs provide to workers. She has criticized politicians who advocate green policies for engaging in environmentally harmful practices, such as flying in private jets. She has also criticized the outsourcing of labor and environmental harm to countries like China.<ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|date=15 February 2023|title=The left has given up on ordinary Americans|url=https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/02/15/the-left-has-given-up-on-ordinary-americans/|access-date=23 October 2024|work=[[Spiked (magazine)|Spiked]]|location=}}Left blank intentionally </ref>

Since 2022, Ungar-Sargon has written articles opposing U.S. support for [[Ukraine]] following the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion]].<ref name="Kirchick Atlantic Sept 2022">{{cite news |last=Kirchick |first=James |date=29 September 2022 |title=How the Anti-war Camp Went Intellectually Bankrupt |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/09/anti-war-camp-intellectually-bankrupt/671576/ |work=[[The Atlantic]] |location= |access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref> She has argued that American resources should prioritize domestic needs, questioned the strategic importance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, legitimized Russian [[Land claim|land claims]] regarding [[Donetsk]] and [[Luhansk]], and expressed skepticism toward U.S. foreign policy, which she views as exacerbating international conflicts. In response, journalist [[James Kirchick]] of ''[[The Atlantic]]'' criticized her stance, characterizing it as part of what he called the "Intellectually Bankrupt Anti-war camp" and accusing her of minimizing [[Russian imperialism]].<ref name="Kirchick Atlantic Sept 2022"/>

In 2024, Ungar-Sargon stated that the typical [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] voter is working-class and now rejects previously prominent party policies such as tax cuts for the wealthy and foreign military interventions.<ref name="Chait Jan 2024"/> She argued that this sentiment underlies opposition to [[Donald Trump]] from some within the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. In October 2024, she described Trump as a [[Centrism|centrist]],<ref name="JPost April 2024" /> diverging from the prominent classification of him as right-wing.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/10/31/the-republican-party-has-lurched-towards-populism-and-illiberalism|title=The Republican Party has lurched towards populism and illiberalism|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=October 31, 2020|access-date=October 14, 2021}}Left blank intentionally</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Borger|first=Julian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/26/republican-party-autocratic-hungary-turkey-study-trump|title=Republicans closely resemble autocratic parties in Hungary and Turkey – study|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 26, 2021|access-date=October 14, 2021}}Left blank intentionally</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Chotiner|first=Isaac|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/redefining-populism|title=Redefining Populism|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=July 29, 2021|access-date=October 14, 2021}}Left blank intentionally</ref> Commentator [[Jonathan Chait]] responded by arguing that Ungar-Sargon’s portrayal of Trump as a working-class advocate as incorrect and misleading because Trump's rhetoric on policy rarely matches his actions.<ref name="Chait Jan 2024">{{cite news |last=Chait |first=Jonathan |date=25 January 2024 |title=Donald Trump’s Economic Populism Remains Extremely Fake |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2024/01/donald-trump-agenda-fake-economic-populism-tax-cuts-rich-wealthy.html |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York magazine]] |location= |access-date=}} </ref> In November 2024, Ungar-Sargon publicly encouraged American Jews to vote for Trump in the [[2024 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Batya Ungar-Sargon|date=29 October 2024|title=Donald Trump, Inheritor of the Left and the American Jewish Legacy|url=https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-inheritor-left-american-jewish-legacy-opinion-1976834|work=[[Newsweek]]|location=|access-date=1 November 2024}}Left blank intentionally </ref><ref>{{Cite tweet|user=bungarsargon|number=1852136751155871906|title=American Jews should vote for Trump because he is the candidate who stands most clearly for the things that have defined us for centuries. A love letter to my community on the eve of the election—on where we  come from and our enduring commitment to America's working class:}}Left blank intentionally</ref>

In March 2024, Ungar-Sargon criticized elements of the political left in the aftermath of the [[October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel]]. She claimed that left-wing discourse often centers on portraying groups as [[Social exclusion|marginalized]] as a means of asserting influence and silencing dissent.<ref>{{cite news|author=Batya Ungar-Sargon|date=12 March 2024|title=The left’s sickening betrayal of Israeli women|url=https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/03/12/the-lefts-sickening-betrayal-of-israeli-women/|work=[[Spiked (magazine)|Spiked]]|location=|access-date=23 October 2024}}Left blank intentionally </ref>

In April 2025, on a [[NewsNation]] segment, Ungar-Sargon argued that issues such as [[wealth inequality]], [[housing prices]] and the loss of [[Manufacturing in the United States|manufacturing jobs]] were all a factor of [[elites]] being "too lazy to get out from behind their laptops....because they would rather die than work in a factory...or clean their own toilets". She explained that [[middle-class]] people working in [[Meat-packing industry|meatpacking plants]] could be a solution to the loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States.<ref>https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/national/tariffs-are-a-winwin-for-workingclass-americans-batya-ungarsargon/video/6ad08224d1e9699cac20343790065ed4</ref>

==External links==
* [https://citylimits.org/author/batya-ungar-sargon/ Batya Ungar-Sargon | City Limits]
* [https://vinepair.com/author/batya/ Batya Ungar-Sargon | VinePair]
* {{imdb name|nm13056351}}
* {{Twitter|bungarsargon}}
* {{C-SPAN|132012}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ungar-Sargon, Batya}}