# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The problem does not stop at our borders,of course. In Holland, during the draw between FC Utrecht and Ajax, calls for Jews to be sent "to the gas chambers" and to be burned were caught on film, as were chants of "kill the Jews" prior to an Austria-Bosnia friendly in Vienna. In 2006, Croatian fans had disgraced the game when they formed a human swastika and gave Nazi salutes. And earlier this summer, the Nazi symbol appeared again, this time cut into the grass of the stadium shortly before a game between Croatia and Italy.

In Poland, meanwhile, a national debate was sparked when prosecutors determined that crowds were not guilty of a criminal offence when chanting "Move on, Jews! Your home is at Auschwitz! Send you to the gas (chamber)!"

The effect of this ambivalence towards antisemitic rhetoric should not be underestimated. In grassroots football, the impacts are severe and wide-ranging. I know of parents who have either withdrawn their children from local games or who simply see antisemitism as part and parcel of the pitchside experience when watching their children. I know the same can be said for parents of young Muslim children too. Racism either on or off the field in these surroundings is wrong, discourages diversity in the game and in our local communities, and is simply an anathema to all the positive disciplines and experiences that football should provide.

Nor should the impact on Jewish players and communities in the professional game be underestimated. David and Ivor Baddiel have powerfully explained the impact on the two of them as Jews, sitting at a Chelsea match and encountering someone shouting "F*** the Yids" and then "F*** the Jews" when the Spurs score was projected on the jumbotron. As part of my efforts as chair of the all-party Parliamentary group against antisemitism, I have produced reports that explain just how wrong, inappropriate, hurtful and offensive Holocaust analogies can be for the Jewish community. Imagine the impact then, when thousands of fans are hissing to imitate the sounds of the gas chambers at Auschwitz.

Of course, we all should be shocked and ashamed by such behaviour. The stupidity of the "fans" that behave in that way is that the logical extension of their beliefs and actions would be a monochrome game, played by a monochrome team in a monochrome stadium - dull and inferior.

Outright racism, although it still exists, has become less acceptable in mainstream football and initiatives to broaden black, Asian and minority ethnic involvement in the game at all levels are ongoing. Antisemitism and Islamphobia , however, have not enjoyed the same degree of attention.

I have been campaigning for some time now to change this. I have worked with the FA, produced reports for them, and we have started to see some results. Improvements to steward training, reporting systems for referees and community engagement have followed. Significantly, the FA's heeding my call for a "strict liability" rule has meant that clubs can no longer argue a "due diligence" defence when racist fans chant abuse.

Of course, systems and procedures are all very well but what we really need is a cultural change. We are starting to achieve this. Anelka was fined £80,000 and banned for his "Quenelle" whilst Wigan's Whelan was banned and later resigned. In the 2012-13 season, of ten disciplinary cases involving antisemitism, nine resulted in some form of action. The FA have also started to educate themselves about antisemitism and faith in general. Their most recent factsheets on Judaism, Islam and all the major religions and their impact on football continue this trend.

There is, as always, much more to do. The FA's recent decision not to act against Malky Mackay and Iain Moody for racist text messaging is a backwards step, not in line with the established zero tolerance approach. Kick It Out have reported a huge increase in racism and reports about abuse on social media. They are working on solutions to this and we will continue to work with them. My forthcoming book highlights the need for high profile figures to continue to speak out against antisemitism and racism. This counts as much for football as it does for politics.

Anybody from any background should be able to play the game. It crosses every racial and religious divide, and so there must be higher standards in tackling racism. The key question is: do you feel comfortable taking someone identifiably Muslim or Jewish to a game? If answer is no, there is still a problem.

John Mann is a Labour MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
British football is still rife with antisemitism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The problem does not stop at our borders,of course. In Holland, during the draw between FC Utrecht and Ajax, calls for Jews to be sent "to the gas chambers" and to be burned were caught on film, as were chants of "kill the Jews" prior to an Austria-Bosnia friendly in Vienna.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Chelsea fans have been filmed chanting anti-Semitic songs on the Tube following their Premier League win over Tottenham on Saturday.

Blues supporters are seen singing the distasteful chant on the District Line after their side's 2-1 victory against Spurs at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham traditionally have a large Jewish following and that was referenced by the fans after Antonio Conte's team came from behind to end their rivals' unbeaten start to the top-flight season.

A Spurs fan told Mirror Football the supporters were 'goading any Spurs fans they could' and had attempted to cause trouble at two separate stations, only for police to step in.

Earlier this year, Chelsea fans chanted anti-Semitic abuse at a Jewish passenger following their side's FA Cup victory over MK Dons.

The latest scenes come despite the club releasing a pre-match statement, urging fans to refrain from such offensive remarks.

On the pitch, it was another successful day for Chelsea who returned to the Premier League summit after a couple of hours off top spot.

Liverpool's win over Sunderland put the Reds in pole position ahead of the late kick-off, and Christian Eriksen's opener threatened to keep them there.

But Pedro equalised before the break and Victor Moses' winner six minutes after half-time took the Blues a point clear at the top.

Despite a promising first campaign in English football so far, Antonio Conte insists his side must stay humble in their bid to win the title.

"I think now we are not the same team, now we are another team," Conte said. "We have another type of confidence. It's important to stay humble

"When you win a special derby, you must be happy. We have to continue to work.

"It's too early to talk of the title. This league is very tough.

"Tottenham showed in this league there are six or seven teams that can win the title."

In July last year, four Chelsea fans were banned from attending matches for 18 years for a racist incident on the Paris Metro.

The Blues were in France for the Champions League clash with PSG when the incident took place, with fans refused to let a black passenger on the train.

The club have vowed to take a 'zero tolerance' policy against such incidents in future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chelsea fans filmed chanting anti-Semitic songs following win over Tottenham

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Chelsea fans have been filmed chanting anti-Semitic songs on the Tube following their Premier League win over Tottenham on Saturday. Blues supporters are seen singing the distasteful chant on the District Line after their side's 2-1 victory against Spurs at Stamford Bridge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(Photo: Reuters/Thomas Peter)People hold crosses and signs during a rally organized by Iraqi Christians living in Germany denouncing what they say is repression by the Islamic State militant group against Christians living in Iraq, in Berlin, Aug. 17, 2014.

As the world marks the U.N.'s International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of Genocide, persecution watchdog groups are warning that Christians continue to be some of the most widely targeted people.

"Ahead of Genocide Prevention Day on Dec. 9, Christian Solidarity Worldwide is calling for the perpetrators of crimes against humanity in North Korea and Eritrea to be held to account," CSW said in a short statement. Last year, the day was officially designated to raise awareness for the 1948 Genocide Convention, which seeks to prevent and punish genocide.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that "Member states and the international community must honour the suffering of the victims of genocide, and of their families, by working even harder against expressions of hatred, intolerance, racism and xenophobia."

As CSW notes, North Korea has been one of the worst and one of the most secretive persecutors of Christians and other people, with prison camps across the country holding thousands of political prisoners.

Open Doors USA is another watchdog group that has reported on the murder, torture, rape, and other atrocities that everyone deemed a threat to Kim Jong Un's regime faces, with untold numbers of Christians being punished for things like reading or possessing a Bible.

"There were over 70,000 Christians that were imprisoned for their faith this year. You have executions - we don't know how many, but we know of enough. There has been no let up in persecution in North Korea," Open Doors CEO David Curry told The Christian Post back in January.
Related
Christians in the Middle East, especially those in Iraq and Syria, have been facing genocide at the hands of the Islamic State and other terror groups, suffering beheadings, enslavement, forced conversions into Islam, and being driven out of their ancestral communities.

Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, warned at an interfaith panel in New York last week that this massacre, along with people's indifference toward it, is reminiscent of other major genocides in the past that still haunt the world today.

"Today we are witnessing the world's indifference to the slaughter of Christians in the Middle East and Africa," Lauder said at the panel, according to Catholic News Service.

"Since 1945, genocide has occurred again and again. 'Never Again!' has become hollow. You can't just declare genocide and say the job is done. You have to back it up with action.

"Jews know what happens when the world is silent to mass slaughter. We learned it the hard way," he added, referring to the genocide of Jews and other minorities during World War II.

The conflict in South Sudan is another ongoing crisis affecting many Christians, Vox noted.

When the country achieved independence from the Muslim-majority Republic of the Sudan, it was hailed as a victory by a number of Christian groups in the United States, but ethnic divisions have since been ripping the new country apart.

"There is already a steady process of ethnic cleansing underway in several areas of South Sudan using starvation, gang rape and the burning of villages; everywhere we went across this country we heard villagers saying they are ready to shed blood to get their land back," said Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, after a 10-day visit this year.

"Many told us it's already reached a point of no return," she added.

Follow Stoyan Zaimov on Facebook: CPSZaimov

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Christians Among Most Persecuted People in the World, Watchdog Groups Warn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As the world marks the U.N.'s International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of Genocide, persecution watchdog groups are warning that Christians continue to be some of the most widely targeted people. "Ahead of Genocide Prevention Day on Dec.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Reports from the UN's Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, from the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, from the UN Panel of Experts on South Sudan and from every other reliable source all point to the unmistakable warning signs of an impending genocide.

Warning signs

Militias are mobilizing along ethnic lines, hate speech is circulating on social media, and perhaps most ominous of all, the South Sudan government's actions are already leveling villages, resulting in many dead in Central Equatoria state.

This is all happening in the context of a civil war that began in December 2013, with a steady descent since into a tribal contest between Dinka, Nuer and other ethnic groups. There have been ethnic-based killings on all sides and growing demands for vengeance.

Unlike in Syria, there are no big power contests being played out in South Sudan, the world's newest country.

Its neighboring states have been leading the search for South Sudan peace through their regional organization, the Intergovernmental Association for Development (IGAD).

Unfortunately, these countries -- Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, and Eritrea -- all have differing and sometimes competing interests in South Sudan.

The result is a peace process that lacks firm pressure on the government of South Sudan and an unwillingness by IGAD member states yet to support either strong sanctions or an arms embargo on those threatening genocidal violence.

Yet, no solutions are possible without the support of these neighboring states.

Time is running out

Time is running out. All sides are actively recruiting new soldiers, including children, and stockpiling weapons.

But the worst can be prevented. IGAD members must recognize the full impact of any genocide: the horrific human costs and the much greater outflow of refugees than to date, to say nothing of the international condemnation, and the seeming failures of African Union and IGAD peace making.

IGAD leaders must make clear to the government of South Sudan, and the other South Sudan key players with whom they have contact and influence, that a major offensive as threatened by the government in Central Equatoria is unacceptable. They must also warn that sanctions will be imposed by IGAD and the international community against any party undertaking such action, and that IGAD will demand greater progress on implementing the peace plan which the various parties have signed.

In addition, IGAD must empower the African Union's Special Envoy for South Sudan, former Malian president Alpha Konare, to pursue an urgent process of mediation and negotiation to lower tensions and assure all sides of an inclusive peace process.

This task can no longer be entrusted to the government of South Sudan as proposed in the current peace plan, because the government is complicit in much of the current violence and threats of ethnic killing.

Once these measures have been taken, the 4,000 additional UN peacekeeping troops approved by the UN Security Council can be deployed with the goal of defusing ongoing tensions and providing for citizen protection, and in support of a strengthened framework for peace.

Avoiding another Rwandan genocide

The world has spent several decades rehashing the failures that led to the Rwandan genocide.

In South Sudan there is ample warning, but the action necessary to forestall another tragedy in the region must be led by African leaders, with muscular diplomacy and clear commitment from the US, UN and world leaders.

Unfortunately, the specter of genocide is occurring at a time when the US, the UN and the African Union are all undergoing major transition.

The US administration has become deeply concerned with the situation.

The US has proposed to the UN Security Council an arms embargo on the country and economic sanctions on several key leaders on the government and opposition sides.

But passage remains uncertain as not all the African representatives are on board. Russia, China, Japan and some other members are also not supportive.

In any case, resolutions by the UN Security Council cannot substitute for high-level work with the IGAD members and the leadership of the African Union to agree on a pathway forward.

President Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon must take this on in the waning days of their administrations.

Each should call the heads of state of the IGAD members, emphasizing the enormity and urgency of the situation and the need for stronger action.

President Obama should also dispatch Vice President Joe Biden to the region to work with those leaders on the best way forward.

Unless the current leaders of the US and UN take such initiative, they risk leaving office with the unfolding of yet one more genocide that could have been prevented.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
we're ignoring a possible genocide in south sudan  - cnn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Reports from the UN's Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, from the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, from the UN Panel of Experts on South Sudan and from every other reliable source all point to the unmistakable warning signs of an impending genocide.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
British man convicted for anti-Semitism against Jewish lawmaker

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
British court finds man guilty of waging an anti-Semitic internet campaign against Jewish lawmaker Luciana Berger.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It was 81 years yesterday that a swastika flew over White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur's home ground. On 4 December 1935, England hosted Germany in a friendly. The away team's pre-match Sieg Heil salute, at a ground that served a large, football-obsessed Jewish community, failed to cause a media stir.

Even the Jewish Chronicle ignored the lone Spurs protester who bravely climbed on to the West Stand roof and tore down the Nazi flag. This was an era when the community's leaders adopted a "keep schtum" policy - heads down, don't cause a fuss, don't rock the boat.

Seven decades on, football still has an antisemitism problem. Two weeks ago footage emerged of Chelsea supporters chanting anti-Jewish songs on London Underground after their side's 2-1 defeat of Spurs. Earlier this year, a group of Blues fans forced an orthodox Jewish rail passenger to move carriages after targeting him for abuse. Last month a Chelsea season ticket-holder was banned for three years after making 13 Nazi salutes at Tottenham fans. At north London derbies, Arsenal fans have been heard singing: "I've got a foreskin, haven't you: fucking Jew." And so on.

I have to admit that this upsurge in racial hatred has taken me my surprise. My book, Does Your Rabbi Know You're Here?, published in 2013, charted the Jewish community's journey from alienated and often persecuted east European outsiders, to more-or-less accepted, Anglicised football insiders. For 120 years Jews have been involved in the people's game as players, fans, managers, directors, writers, administrators and owners. Theirs is a model story of integration, showing how a once-demonised group of immigrants could, after a long struggle, find acceptance and a sense of belonging through an obsessive participation in sport. As a football reporter employed by a national newspaper for 15 years, I really thought I had seen the back of antisemitism.

It is at this point that sceptics usually point out these are isolated incidents. Some argue for contextualisation, arguing that they are the product of tribal rivalries between fans who will stop at nothing to rile their sworn enemies. They don't mean to be beastly to Jewish people.

The anonymity that exists from behind a keyboard means it's becoming an ever-increasing problem

Roisin Wood

According to football's anti-discrimination organisation, Kick It Out, however, such vile behaviour has been steadily increasing in recent years. During the 2013-14 season 57 incidents were reported. The following term there were 63. And for the last season the figure had risen to 83. "I think we're going to see more of it," Roisin Wood, the organisation's director, recently told a 200-strong audience at the JW3 London Jewish cultural centre. "I would be surprised if we didn't."

I was sitting next to her when she made this bleak prediction. The Times' chief football writer, Henry Winter, revealed that he had called the Football Association to ask for statistics about antisemitism. "They reckoned there was a decrease," he said. "I go to so many games a year - and I think that's rubbish."

The audience wasn't too surprised to hear this. Kick It Out, in conjunction with Jewish groups, does sterling work, but there is a feeling in the community that the FA, like the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and indeed the government, don't take it seriously enough. "For us, there is still a problem of antisemitism in football," said Wood. "One of the biggest problems is social media. The anonymity that exists from behind a keyboard means it's becoming an ever-increasing problem, and it's an issue we all have to grasp." When I publicised the event, one of the first tweets I received was from an organisation calling itself Hitler Was Right.

This, of course, is a global issue, and there are fears it might tarnish the 2018 World Cup. That tournament is taking place in Russia, where there have been hundreds of cases of football-related discrimination in recent years.

From Bosnians in Vienna shouting "Kill the Jews" to West Ham legend Paolo Di Canio proudly revealing his fascist tattoo on Sky Sport Italia, footballing antisemitism is the new normal in Europe. This normalisation has even infected the world of soccer simulation. Players of the Fifa series of video games refer online to tap-ins, and other easy ways of scoring, as "Jew goals" - a cheap way to get on the scoresheet.

A cursory glance at Jewish newspapers, reinforced by anecdotal evidence provided at the JW3 event, reveals that grassroots football is peppered with abuse. "My son played for London Lions," said Martin Berliner, who heads the Jewish football organisation Maccabi GB. "They have the star of David on their shirts. They experienced it from time to time. There are clubs with a reputation for being intimidating. It's not unusual for parents and kids to use antisemitic language. You've got a generation of 14 to 15 year olds who are growing up right now who think it's acceptable."

* Anthony Clavane's latest book, A Yorkshire Tragedy, is published by Riverrun. A seminar, Antisemitism in F ootball: How Serious Is It Now? is taking place on 12 December at Birkbeck Sport Business Centre
Topics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
We thought antisemitism in football was long gone. How wrong we were | Anthony Clavane

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It was 81 years yesterday that a swastika flew over White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur's home ground. On 4 December 1935, England hosted Germany in a friendly. The away team's pre-match Sieg Heil salute, at a ground that served a large, football-obsessed Jewish community, failed to cause a media stir.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Donald Trump's pick to head the National Security Administration, has landed in the middle of a complex controversy including his son, a penchant for spreading fake news - and anti-Semitism on Twitter.

Flynn has come under attack for retweeting a fake news item that appeared to be related to the so-called #Pizzagate conspiracy theory in which far right wing activists spread false claims that a Washington D.C. pizzeria was somehow involved in a pedophilia ring with supposed ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton.

U decide - NYPD Blows Whistle on New Hillary Emails: Money Laundering, Sex Crimes w Children, etc...MUST READ! https://t.co/O0bVJT3QDr- General Flynn (@GenFlynn) November 3, 2016

His son, Michael Flynn Jr., has repeatedly promoted bogus news about the #Pizzagate story and insisted that he considers the allegations to be important until proven false. The younger Flynn is also working for the Trump transition team and has been his father's de facto chief of staff in recent months.

The #Pizzagate story, which has been a major issue for right-wing fringe groups for months, exploded into mainstream consciousness Sunday when a North Carolina man armed with a rifle opened fire after going to the restaurant to "investigate" the bogus news claims.

Flynn Sr. had nothing to do with the attack and the Washington Post reports his Tweet may have actually been about Bill Clinton's ties to disgraced financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

But it's not the first time the older Flynn has been accused of being much too cozy with the radical right on social media, including anti-Semites.

Flynn retweeted a blatently anti-Semitic post over the summer, and then apologized, saying it was in error.

The tweet, from a user called Saint Bibiana, alleged that Jews were blaming the former Soviet Union for leaks that were published recently from internal Democratic National Committee emails.

"CNN implicated," reads the tweet sent Sunday. "'The USSR is to blame!' Not anymore, Jews. Not anymore."

Retweeting a few days later, Flynn wrote, "The corrupt Democratic machine will do and say anything to get #NeverHillary into power. This is new low."

Soon afterward, Flynn tweeted that he had meant to retweet a link from CNN and apologized for his earlier tweet.

"The earlier retweet was a mistake," he wrote. "My sincerest apologies."

Flynn has also tagged in his tweets Jared Wyland, an anti-Semitic commentator who often tweets about the "Liberal Jewish media," CNN reported.

Flynn also shared some of Wyland's tweets that linked to videos, including ones with Islamophobic messages.

Former State Department policy adviser Peter Singer blasted Flynn after Sunday's shooting.

"We are talking about some of the most bizarre conspiracy theories out there," Singer, now a national security strategist at the think tank New America, told Politico. "We are down the rabbit hole."

Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said outlandish right wing conspiracy theories had "come close to having deadly results."

"It is incumbent on Trump, his nominee for national security adviser, Gen. Flynn, and his entire team to disavow these falsehoods and conspiracy theories," said Schiff, who is Jewish. "They will soon have a country to run, and God help us if they conduct the nation's affairs like their transition - without the willingness or ability to separate fact from fiction."

GIVE TODAY SUPPORT FEARLESS JOURNALISM

Join thousands of readers and give today to help fund the Forward 's reliable reporting, intelligent analysis, and a Jewish voice you can trust on news, culture, lifestyle and opinion. Thank you for making a generous donation now.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Does Michael Flynn Have an Anti-Semitism Problem on Twitter?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Donald Trump's pick to head the National Security Administration, has landed in the middle of a complex controversy including his son, a penchant for spreading fake news - and anti-Semitism on Twitter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On the presidential campaign trail, Trump reasonably insisted that the U.S. shouldn't entangle itself in complicated foreign conflicts that have little or no bearing on our national interest. His victory shows that the nation is in no mood for risky adventures abroad. But he and his supporters should be under no illusions what such a "realist" foreign policy means.

Not acting in South Sudan, as genocide looms, will be a moral litmus test not only of Trump's leadership but indeed of the nation's. If "make America great again" doesn't include opposition to genocide, then what values define our greatness?

That rhetorical question is not meant to imply that the U.S. should intervene in all conflicts. Genocidal wars are unique because civilian populations, including children, are marked for unspeakable suffering and death.

American intervention, moreover, doesn't have to mean entering this convoluted war with its 60 ethnic groups. Nor need it involve costly nation-building. There are other constructive, life-affirming steps that the U.S. could take immediately to alleviate some of the human misery.

The U.S. should increase aid and manpower at African refugee camps struggling to deal with the crisis. The U.N. Security Council can't be relied on, because it is dragging its feet. And leaving these camps under the protection of U.N. peacekeeping forces doesn't inspire confidence, given their recent performance. American muscle is needed to shield aid workers and rape victims.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
America Must Act to Stop Genocide in South Sudan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On the presidential campaign trail, Trump reasonably insisted that the U.S. shouldn't entangle itself in complicated foreign conflicts that have little or no bearing on our national interest. His victory shows that the nation is in no mood for risky adventures abroad.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The huge gap between current CMS offerings and what the world needed occurred to me during my time as CTO of The Huffington Post. When we were acquired by AOL in 2011, I inherited 53 properties built on dozens of different content management systems. It wasn't long after that I soon realized they were all built by IT people who didn't fully grasp the concepts of traffic and distribution. That's why in 2012 I launched RebelMouse as the first platform to create the "social front page" - a hub where users could aggregate social feeds all in one place. It went viral with eight million users worldwide. The viral success made me realize that there wasn't a CMS to bring it all together, yet.

One of the main reasons I launched RebelMouse was because I recognized that a huge shift in advertising would happen, and that content would become marketing very quickly. And it did.

Today, I am extremely proud of the powerful product we've created. RebelMouse was built to solve the complex intersection of product, engineering, editorial, and revenue. It's allowed us to create a next-generation CMS unlike any other - backed by some of the best venture capitalists in the world - and is responsible for launching some of the biggest media sites such as Axios and The Dodo, both of which saw massive success upon launch.

But our team still sees plenty of sites - including brands, publishers, and personal influencers - not reaching their full potential. A lot of the time it's because they're bogged down with a clunky CMS like WordPress. We're all trying to publish and make money in a competitive industry that's always changing. But to be frank, WordPress isn't keeping up with the industry fast enough. There's a lot you need in and out of a CMS to survive and succeed in this digital climate, and we've created a solution that quickly responds to every industry shift and algorithm curveball.

Here are six reasons why RebelMouse is different from WordPress and worthy of a replatforming process that's simple and can be completed in a matter of days.

1. RebelMouse Is a Centralized CMS

RebelMouse is a centralized CMS, unlike other common web solutions like WordPress and Drupal. WordPress is a decentralized model that requires every platform update to be completed independently. This means that - of the 87 million plus versions of WordPress that are currently live on the internet - each update has to be implemented one by one.

Operating your business on a decentralized model is a big security risk. Every time there's a security threat, the core developers at WordPress must deploy patches in the form of product updates. From there, it's up to the managing developers of each individual site to deploy and configure around these updates to avoid breaking custom code and plugins. And this happens a lot. Since its launch in 2003, WordPress has released 238 product updates, many of them to address gaps in security.

Since we operate on a centralized model, every update on our platform is updated at one time, and sometimes multiple times a day. Usually our clients never notice the difference. We protect the data of our clients and make sure their sites are not only risk-free, but also operating at continuous peak performance.

But this doesn't mean our platform is closed off by any means. We use the languages of the open web, and any developer can easily learn our platform to create high-quality work without the burden of relying on unstable and fragmented WordPress plugins and updates.

2. More Than Just Tech

We've never been one to stick to boxes at RebelMouse. We started out on the cutting edge of social in 2012, and stayed close to the heart of digital publishing ever since. That's why our clients don't get a stagnant software platform like WordPress. Instead, they get a full-service creative agency full of content optimization specialists, social media gurus, and monetization experts. We blur the line between product and strategy to drive success.

Our content migration process from WordPress to RebelMouse is simple. And once it's completed, we don't waste any time optimizing your site for page speed. From there, we restructure your content strategy so you can see results at scale. Here are some of the strategy services we offer:

Monetization: We believe saving costs is the new revenue stream. Our lean tech model creates new opportunities for monetization, and our strategy team uses data-driven methods to make sure your site is getting maximum return.

Social: In 2018, engagement is the key metric to watch to drive sustainable growth. Using our social tools, we can help you create deep connections that spark conversation in the social ecosystem.

Audience Loyalty: It's easy to have viral moments both on site and via social, but those instances can be fleeting. Organic loyalty is what's required to ensure steady growth. We help you take advantage of the social ecosystem's universe of creators and influencers to help you grow a loyal community.

Search: The RebelMouse CMS has the tools to help you optimize each post for SEO. LIke everything else in the current digital climate, the strategy around search is always changing. We'll make sure your current efforts are up to snuff.

3. User-Focused Site Experience

Media sites have become really complicated over time. The industry let intrusive ads take over the internet, and now we're all left cleaning up the mess and re-prioritizing user experiences to get users back and make them stick. When we launched Axios on our new Social UX for Media layout in 2017, it mimicked the social feeds to drive more pageviews, engagement, and user satisfaction. It's a design structure that sees success on our other properties, too, including Dance Magazine and EcoWatch.

Our platform also has a powerful layout tool called Particle Assembler which creates beautiful designs. Instead of leaning heavily on an expensive developer team, Particle Assembler lets content creators design gorgeous layouts within a few clicks. Whatever works best for your brand, we'll guide you through the right design and site navigation that will bring next-level growth to your business.

4. Better Social Distribution Tools

A lot of publishers were slower to understand the importance of distributed publishing when digital started to gain steam. Luckily, it's something we've been working to perfect since we launched our CMS in 2012. Producing quality content is only half the battle - after all, there's no point in publishing engaging content if nobody is around to read it. This is why dynamic distribution is so important in order to succeed in today's digital world. And the good news is that tackling this doesn't have to be a solo effort.

At RebelMouse, we believe we live in a universe of creators. Not only will your fellow creators take interest in the topics you publish about, but they'll also share your content and validate your message.

That's why we created Discovery, an important part of our enterprise-level toolset that's available from right within our Entry Editor where you create articles. Using proprietary technology, Discovery enables you to identify key pages and profiles that could be interested in sharing your content. And through varying levels of social outreach, you can repurpose and share content from your Discovery findings in a way that validates the original message of those influencers. From there, you amplify the content through your own social channels.

This sharing cycle has led to the success of some of our biggest clients. The Dodo - one of the most successful new media companies to date - used Discovery to become the center of all things animals on the internet. It can do this for you, too.

5. Modern Authoring Tools

Chances are the CMS platform you're using was created before social. If that's true, you may still view content on your website and in social feeds as two different entities you have to control and manage. We're here to blur those lines for you and take publishing where it needs to be in 2018.

Our Entry Editor isn't simply a way to publish articles. It's a full-blown toolset for content creators. Before each piece of content is pushed live, it can be optimized for design, social, and SEO. We've also created a new content workflow that ensures every content team is on the most efficient path to publish.

Your writers, editors, creators, and community deserve tools that make them fast and efficient. It's also important that they follow a process that enforces best practices, so that the CMS itself is training your team with every post as they onboard.

6. Easy-to-Understand Analytics

It's important for you to manage your writers, see their performance, enable them to learn from each other, and help them become data driven. RebelMouse analytics provide you with a clear view of who is performing, what posts are working, and where that content is gaining traction.

Our CMS operates on a data-driven product cycle. Everything we release at RebelMouse is subjected to a small percentage of traffic and A/B tested for performance impact. Our testing includes how each version affects pagespeed and user experience. We then take these results and check to see how they correlate with bounce rate, time on site, pages per session, and conversion to goals - such as shares, subscriptions, and purchases. We also take big data and distill it into easy-to-consume insights that you can quickly act upon. You can view how each post is performing on search and social, right from within the Entry Editor.

In addition, we have a deep Google Analytics integration, so you can easily add in components, promos, third-party units, and ad units. But most importantly, as these pieces are being added, they're set up in staged environments automatically, and the traffic performance from these tests can be traced back to impact on bounce rate, pages per session, session duration, number of shares, percent of shares per visit, and unique custom goals for your business.

Let's Start Working Together

We migrate sites from WordPress all the time, and it's a fast process. Even if replatforming isn't an option for you at the moment, we can still offer you our creative agency services to make sure you're reaching your biggest audience possible. Let's create something together. Request a proposal to get in contact with a Rebel.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Reasons to Upgrade to RebelMouse from WordPress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The huge gap between current CMS offerings and what the world needed occurred to me during my time as CTO of The Huffington Post. When we were acquired by AOL in 2011, I inherited 53 properties built on dozens of different content management systems. It wasn't long after that I soon realized they we...

# data[].attributes.body
“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the
oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”