To the Editor:

In light of the shocking anti-Semitic remarks by longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas, we believe it is time for the Society of Professional Journalists to rename or discontinue the "Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement," which the SPJ has annually bestowed since honoring Ms. Thomas with the award in 2000.

Although she at first apologized for the anti-Jewish remarks that led to her abrupt resignation from Hearst Newspapers in June, Ms. Thomas made clear in a speech in Dearborn, Michigan on December 3 that she did not regret her comment that Jews should "get the hell out of Palestine." She followed that admission with an anti-Semitic diatribe worthy of the 19th century conspiratorially minded anti-Semitic fraud, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." She claimed that "Zionists" are the hidden hand behind U.S. government policy and opinion vis-à-vis Israel, and repeated the classic anti-Semitic canard that Jews "control" the White House and Hollywood. "We are owned by the propagandists against the Arabs. There's no question about that," Ms. Thomas said. "Congress, the White House and Hollywood, Wall Street, are owned by the Zionists. No question in my opinion. They put their money where their mouth is …. We're being pushed into a wrong direction in every way."

This episode was a sad final chapter to an otherwise illustrious career as a trailblazer for women and minorities in journalism. Unlike her first off-the-cuff remarks into a camera, Thomas' comments were carefully thought out and reveal a person who is deeply infected with anti-Semitism.

In the immediate aftermath of her Dearborn speech, Thomas' alma mater, Wayne State University, announced that it would no longer bestow its "Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity in Media Award." We believe that was the right decision, and that other journalism schools and institutions who have honored Thomas should now follow suit. No academic institution or organization should want to be associated with an unrepentant anti-Semite and bigot, and it should no longer be considered an honor to receive an award bearing her name.