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<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent" size=2>Hello everyone, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent" size=2>I'm new to the group, so let me
introduce myself briefly.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent" size=2>My name is Anat Balint, I'm a PhD
student in Media and communications at Goldsmiths, university of London.
Just finished my first year and my thesis is around reality TV. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent" size=2>I'm Israeli and before I came to
London I was the media correspondent of Ha'aretz daily newspaper (see: <A
href="http://www.haaretz.com">www.haaretz.com</A> for the English online
version). Before that I was writing about media for the media magazine "The 7th
Eye", published by the Israel Democracy Institute (a think tank). In the
past I also worked as a content editor on Israeli channel 2 (mainly culture
programmes) and I also have some experience in radio journalism.
So, one can certainly say I'm into media...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent" size=2>My academic background is a bit
different though: I did me MA in Social Psychology (Tel-Aviv
university). My thesis was about forgiveness between groups (the Jewish-Arab
case in Israel, what else could it be?). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT size=2>Currently I'm interested in
commercialization of media content especially in the age of convergence and
cross-platform content. </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT size=2>I attach in this message my
fare-well article that was written when I left my work as the media
correspondent of Ha'aretz. It was published in July 2006 and addresses the
issue of the declining status of journalists and its effect on the
freedom of the press. While some of the stories I mention are Israeli
(and explained in footnotes), I think the bigger picture is
global and may come as relevant to journalists in many other
countries. </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT size=2>Would be happy to hear from
you. </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT size=2>Anat</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face="David Transparent"><FONT
size=2>****************************<FONT> </FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face="David Transparent" size=2>
<DIV><FONT face="David Transparent" size=2>
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align=left><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=left><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The Crisis of the Press<?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">No One to Turn to<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">By Anat Balint<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">If ‘content is king’, as advertising executives like to
put it, then the makers of content—journalists—are practically slaves, writes
Anat Balint in her parting words (at least for the time being) from the
profession<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">My tenure at <I>Ha'aretz</I> began with a
feverish exchange of faxes. If truth be told, the brunt of this activity was
conducted on my part. At the time, I was under the impression that a work
contract is open to negotiations between employer and employee. With this in
mind, I scoured over the contract that was given to me with utmost seriousness.
I considered the significance of every last clause and passed on my comments to
my future employers. My trusted secret adviser was a well-known and respected
commentator on economic affairs, who is the only one in his field today that
holds a </SPAN>socialist<SPAN style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <SPAN
lang=EN-GB>world view. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The comments I had did not necessarily touch
upon salary matters, but were primarily connected to my standing as a journalist
vis à vis my employers: Can they really demand that I work around the clock?
(Yes). Does the newspaper retain all the rights to my articles and can it make
whatever additional use of them that it sees fit? (Yes). Am I guaranteed legal
protection in the case of a law suit? Not according to the contract. I would
have to rely on an age-old tradition of </SPAN>the <SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">publisher backing his writers. Management
explained to me that this ‘sacred trust’ was breached only once and that I
shouldn’t lose any sleep over it. When my future bosses realized that I was
adamant about pursuing this course, they made a small gesture: they were willing
to increase the vacation time during my first year by two whole days! I</SPAN>n
the end<SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">, few of my requests
were accepted and the principal clauses remained
intact.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>The concluding talk with the paper’s general director in the run-up to
the contract signing was decidedly pleasant. I suspect that he was somewhat
bemused by the spectacle that had unfolded before his eyes over the course of
two weeks. He explained to me why the paper could not agree to most of my
requests and added that “It’s just a standard contract”. Perhaps he realized
that I was slightly demoralized by the way things had turned out, as he really
appeared to go out of his way to be nice to me. Towards the end of our meeting,
he flashed a small smile and told me in a conciliatory tone: “Don’t worry,
feistiness is a good trait in a reporter. We value that here”. To me, it was
obvious that we had shared an ironic moment: After making it clear to the
journalist just where she stood with respect to the employer, she was unleashed
to channel her energies against the rest of the world. The director, so it
seemed, was not conscious of this at all. Nevertheless, at that early stage, I
was unable to appreciate just how great the irony was or to what extent the
pecking order that was unveiled to me in that room was indicative of the state
of affairs in the field that I was about to
cover.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">I served as <I>Ha'aretz’s</I> media
correspondent for the past four years </SPAN>(2002-2006)<SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">, a stormy yet captivating period in my career.
Incidents that attested to the profession’s tumultuous state surfaced nearly
every day. As I look back on this period, it has become abundantly clear that
throughout this time I did not have the opportunity to report on so much as one
positive development in</SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB> </SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">the world of journalism, especially any that
concerned the status of journalists. One exception to this rule was the
establishment of Channel 10’s news company<A title=""
style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="mid://00000263/#_ftn1" name=_ftnref1><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[1]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>,
which I followed closely. For a short while, this process created the sense that
there is true competition between </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">’s media outlets over the talent,
moxie, and professionalism of reporters. Channel 10 supplied new jobs, advanced
young reporters to centre stage, and provided a dignified platform for veterans
(even rejuvenating the careers of some of the profession’s elder statesmen).
However, that's the only exception to the over all grim picture. Besides the
emergence of the new channel, what comes to mind as I look back on these years
are the sad and worrisome stories that I submitted </SPAN>– <SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">huge scandals as well as short footnotes that
document the continuous decline in the status of journalists and the journalism
profession on the whole. When all is said and done, the significance of this
trend is the unremitting and horrifying erosion of the media’s ability to
produce brave and meaningful journalism. </SPAN>Therefore, these troubling
developments should concern not only those who earn their livelihood from the
field of journalism<SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>As part of my coverage of the Israeli media, I kept track of the
dismissal of quite a few journalists, primarily from the written press. On
account of the worldwide crisis that has hit the printed press, all the papers
have let go of staff and implemented downsizing programmes over the past few
years. These incidents were not covered in an orderly fashion by reporters,
myself included. Moreover, these steps were executed in a gradual, practically
surreptitious manner. Consequently, they were not ingrained in the public
consciousness as a full-fledged phenomenon. Young journalists were sent packing,
as were quite a few of their elder colleagues, some of whom had already turned
fifty. And all this played itself out in a nonchalant fashion. The veterans
suddenly found themselves banished from the place they considered home, and many
of them lack any real vocational alternative. The younger reporters often had a
tough time finding a new place of work as well. Many were pushed to the margins
of the media world or left the field altogether. None of these journalists
publicly protested their dismissal, nor did anyone come to their aid.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The Enfeebled<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">I mostly delved into those dismissals that were tinged
with the foul air of scandal. The background was usually political or economic
pressures that were brought to bear on media outlets, or a capricious and inept
management style on the part of the head of a media organization. At times,
management was so feckless that I got wind of the dismissal before the fired
reporter did. This is a humiliating situation. In all these instances, I was
shocked by the loneliness of the dismissed journalists. No one stood on their
side, nor did they have a formal address to turn to for help. What’s more, the
Israeli law does not contain so much as a sub-clause that affords journalists
with some sort of protection. Strange as it may seem, the dismissal is perceived
by the professional environment, and inevitably by the sacked employees
themselves, as a ‘personal conflict’, ‘personal failure’, or a mere ‘lack of
chemistry’. From my perspective, I saw things completely differently. The
dismissed employee was but another in a long line of journalists who lost their
job without any prior warning. It happened to them for the same reason it
happened to others: it was all too easy. Management simply had to call them into
the office and inform them that they were going home.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>I also tracked the disintegration of those few bodies that are entrusted
with safeguarding the freedom of the press in
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">. During my tenure, the Israel Press
Council<A title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="mid://00000263/#_ftn2"
name=_ftnref2><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[2]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>,
which was never a significant factor in all that concerns protecting
journalists, was embroiled in countless petty feuds and completely collapsed.
Even today (as of July 2006), after its supposed reestablishment, the Council is
not really functioning. Its members, for example, have not managed to reach
consensus on the appointment of a new president for what is now nearly three
years. In fact, the Council’s primary concern has long been to serve as the
watchdog of the newspaper owners’ interests, under the façade of ‘freedom of the
press’.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Alternatively, the journalists unions, which appeared to be revitalized
by the reestablishment of the National Federation of Israel Journalists, have
long been controlled by functionaries from
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">’s public broadcasting service. The
massive convulsions that are sweeping through the media world, particularly
newspapers and television, have yet to reach their ears. These ‘apparatchiks’
are mired in ugly personal vendettas against the likes of Channel 33 – a small,
under-budgeted public television channel, with a modest viewership, which is
dedicated to educational and cultural topics. Several days after the dismissal
of Nir Becher, the editor of <I>Yedioth Ahronot</I>'s weekend magazine (<I>Seven
Days</I>)<A title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="mid://00000263/#_ftn3"
name=_ftnref3><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[3]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>,
I spoke with the chairperson of the National Federation, Arye Shaked—a long-time
journalist and manager at Israel's public radio station —on some other matter.
Towards the end of our conversation, I asked Shaked whether the union has taken
a stance on the Becher incident, or if it intends on doing so. He mulled it over
for a minute before responding: “Oh that. We thought of raising it at our
meeting, but it rained and the meeting was cancelled”. On more than one
occasion, I sought a reaction from the relevant bodies that could conceivably
speak out or take serious action on issues that concern the freedom of the
press, but I came to the realization that, in effect, there is no one to turn
to.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Naturally, I do not mean to detract from the importance of the on-going
struggle over the public broadcasting service’s continued existence, of which
the journalists union is one of the factors involved. I am well aware of the
vital role of public broadcasting and therefore devoutly covered the
developments at the Broadcasting Authority. Practically every day, I felt as if
I was documenting the gradual implosion of a massive edifice. This development
has major implications on both journalism and the making of quality television,
but the latter is beyond the scope of the present article. To follow then is a
recap of what has transpired over the past few years at the news departments of
the public television and radio: the departure of prominent reporters both
during and after the reign of Yosef Barel</FONT></FONT><A title=""
style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="mid://00000263/#_ftn4" name=_ftnref4><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[4]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">; only a few young journalists managed to
overcome the organization’s illogical thicket of hiring policies and land jobs
at the Authority; mediocre and weak managers were appointed through bids that
were tainted by politics; the budget was cut; and the ratings continued to drop.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The public broadcasting service is the only
journalism body in </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> that is not under private control.
Therefore, it is the lone organization that could potentially provide a platform
for the voice of the weak and offer critical and independent coverage of the
activities of business magnates. However, the Authority has steadily weakened of
its own accord. In an era of robust privatization, in which tycoons impact the
lives of citizens no less than the government, this process is indeed cause for
alarm. It is enough to recall the dismissal of Channel 1’s<A title=""
style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="mid://00000263/#_ftn5" name=_ftnref5><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[5]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>
reporter Orli Vilnai-Federbush, whose critical coverage of the Finance
Ministry’s policies was brutally terminated by Yosef Barel (“Who are you to tell
the greats of the nation, Shitreet and Netanyahu<A title=""
style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="mid://00000263/#_ftn6" name=_ftnref6><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[6]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>,
what to do?” he lashed out at her) in order to understand why the public
broadcasting service’s reporters are currently hard pressed to provide brave and
influential coverage.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The Frightened<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">This depiction of the Broadcasting Authority is
somewhat misleading. For someone who is not familiar with the Israeli media
scene, it may seem as if the public broadcasting service is besieged by
pressure, politicization, and corruption, while reporters at commercial outlets
have unlimited freedom and room for manoeuvre. In truth, the Authority’s
journalists enjoy a freedom that is off limits to the private sector: the press
leak. Given the nature of employment in the public service, their jobs are
secure</SPAN> and they also enjoy the backing of a strong union<SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">. </SPAN>Consequently, they have no
compunctions about leaking information on the politics of their work place -
from banal gossip to huge scandals - to their colleagues in the commercial
press.<SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>In contrast, private-sector journalists are susceptible to arm-twisting.
On more than one occasion, </SPAN>I was tipped off about incidents in which
pressure had been exerted<SPAN style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <SPAN
lang=EN-GB>on writers at one of the big papers. However, I was repeatedly
frustrated by the inability to translate the information into a story. When I
contacted the journalist in question, I often encountered a frightened colleague
who begged me to put the story to rest. Since there is almost no way of
publishing that sort of information without confirming it with the journalist,
these stories almost never made it to print. Politicians attempting to bring
about the ousting of a highly</SPAN></SPAN>-respected<SPAN
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <SPAN lang=EN-GB>investigative journalist;
investigative reports on business magnates and politicians that were stuck in
the editorial pipeline for weeks on end; a candidate for prime minister with
strong connections to the upper echelons of the press who was basically allowed
to revise stories that revolved around him; a female minister that merited
preferential treatment due to similar connections </SPAN></SPAN>– <SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">all this and more remain as
incomplete documents in the inner recesses of my
computer.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>In December 2005 it momentarily appeared as if the issue of freedom of
the press and the status of journalists had finally found its way to the public
discourse. The investigative documentary about Israir on the programme
<I>Uvdah</I> (Fact)</FONT></FONT><A title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7"
href="mid://00000263/#_ftn7" name=_ftnref7><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[7]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> ostensibly had all the right ingredients for this
sort of discussion</FONT><A title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8"
href="mid://00000263/#_ftn8" name=_ftnref8><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[8]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">. In retrospect<SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">this whole
affair<SPAN style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <SPAN lang=EN-GB>caused more harm
than good to the public discourse on the freedom of the press, for it confirmed
the stereotypical image that many people have on the ways that the press is
silenced. According to the prevalent view, an extremely powerful mogul
discreetly contacts a colleague and within minutes an order lands on the
editor’s desk to bury a story. As a result, the story never sees the light of
day. Those who followed the <I>Israir</I> case experienced the coveted
catharsis. The investigation, which was initially put on ice, was broadcast two
weeks later. The ‘good guys’ won, the public merited the information that was
nearly concealed, and order was duly restored. In essence, the <I>Israir</I>
case was extraordinary given the high drama involved and, more importantly, the
fact that it was displayed in such a transparent manner before the public, which
ultimately led to its ‘happy’ ending. However, this is not how things usually
work. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Following the decision of Rafi Ginat, <I>Yedioth
Ahronoth’s</I> editor-in-chief, to fire Nir Becher, the aggrieved issued a slew
of depositions to the court, which provide an appreciably more accurate picture
of the inner workings of the media. Becher’s detailed testimony exposed the
stifling measures that are wielded against reporters and editors who dare target
economic and political power bases. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The response to the affidavits that was released on the
paper’s behalf stated, among other things, that Becher admitted in the meeting
with the editor-in-chief that there wasn’t so much as one investigative article
that the paper’s management ruled out. This is apparently true and it is for
this very reason that Becher’s revelation offers an accurate depiction of the
crisis that journalists are mired in. You don’t have to shelve investigations
and censure stories in order to undermine a reporter’s ability to engage in
hard-hitting journalism. There are other—slippery and stealth—ways to go about
this. The litany of onerous pressures that were brought to bear on Becher,
according to his affidavits, over the course of many long months is only one way
to neutralize incisive reporting.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>For instance, it is worth asking why the investigative reporter Guy
Leshem, who earned the Sokolow Prize (the Israeli version of the Pulitzer) for
his work at <I>Yedioth Ahronoth</I> (to include investigations that led to the
conviction of Omri Sharon, a member of parliament and the son of former prime
minister Arik Sharon), was not allowed to resume his job after taking an unpaid
leave of absence, despite his desire to return. Leshem’s professional success
did not lead to promotions or financial rewards from his supervisors, nor did
the other papers circle overhead with tempting offers. Today he is working as a
freelance writer at <I>TheMarker</I> (<I>Haaretz’s</I> business section) and as
a researcher for <I>Uvdah</I>.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Then there is the story of David Ratner, my colleague at <I>Ha'aretz</I>.
I contacted him in order to write a brief item on his receiving an honourable
mention within the framework of the Pratt Prizes for Reporting on Environmental
Issues (for the stories he contributed to a series on the condition of
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">’s streams). The interview was
conducted several days after he had left the paper to become the speaker at
Rambam Medical Centre (a large hospital in </SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Haifa</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">). We spoke about his decision to
leave the </SPAN>journalism<SPAN style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <SPAN
lang=EN-GB>profession, despite his love and passion for it. “Do you want to know
what the breaking point was?” he asked. “I was standing in the middle of Na’aman
Brook, immersed in mud over my knees, when I got a call from the editorial desk.
They insisted that I leave everything and go cover some story about a
psychosis-related suicide. The burden was unbearable and the effort became
thankless because the fact that everyone knew that you could bring wonderful
stories didn’t change a thing. They would still rush you off on any stupid
matter that could have easily been pulled off of the wire services.” Boundless
exploitation of reporters is indeed one way to detract from the quality of their
work or to simply break their spirit altogether.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>As a rule, it seems that winning an award for excellence in journalism is
a bad omen in </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> nowadays. Soon after receiving the
international Naples Prize for his story on the uprooting of Palestinian-owned
olive trees by settlers, Meron Rappaport, a journalist and editor at <I>Yedioth
Ahronoth</I>, was fired. The reason for his dismissal: Rappaport failed to abide
by his editor’s instructions and penned a headline that wasn’t ‘soft’ enough on
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><B><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Defenceless<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Dismissals at the wave of a hand; low wages; a
lack of professional backing; unreasonable workloads; insufficient compensation
or slow promotion; and the appointment of weak editors are all present-day
realities in the daily routine of practically every media organization in
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">. Some of the more distinguished
journalists in the written press have fled, or were jettisoned from, their jobs
and have wandered on to television (the commercial variety, of course), in the
hopes of finding better reward for their talents and efforts. In an environment
that is completely alien to journalism culture, they have found a couple of
forlorn islands of reporting surrounded by a sea of entertainment and reality
shows. “They are all crying to me about how much they miss the written press,”
one of the publishers told me. “So let them make journalism,” I countered, but
my comment didn’t warrant a reply. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>The Becher incident was compelling because it clearly divulged the trap
that journalists are caught in. Becher sued <I>Yedioth Ahronoth </I>for one
million shekels (roughly £150,000), but there is considerable doubt as to
whether he has a legal case. There is presently no law on the books that
recognizes the uniqueness of the journalistic endeavour or prevents management
from encroaching on its reporters’ freedom. But the appropriate place for
holding a discussion on the freedom of the press is in the public sphere, not
the courts. What’s more, the discussion should have been initiated long before
he was fired, but so long as Becher held on to his post, none of what went on
within his newspaper was brought to the public’s attention (and the same could
be said for his predecessors). It was only after his employers started to
suspect that aspects of their managerial conduct would be published that he lost
his job. This incident further underscored the fact that journalists are utterly
defenceless when they find themselves in a struggle against their publishers
over their professional values. They are even kept from doing what they do best:
telling their story. Over the course of my years as <I>Haaretz’s</I> media
correspondent, I learnt that the chances of journalists or editors daring to
take a stand over a conflict with management depends on their personal courage,
the amount of animosity pent up inside them, and, not least, the extent to which
they are reliant on their place of work for their livelihood.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>The enfeeblement of journalists is not just an Israeli story. It is
happening all over the world, against the backdrop of the rise of the internet
and the vast changes that the media world is going through. Given the potential
ramifications of this development, the time has come to initiate a discourse on
the future of the profession. But in </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">, so it seems, the process runs
deeper than in most countries and its impact is more severe. The watershed event
in </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> took place well before the birth of
the blog or portal, with the shift to personal contracts at the paper
<I>Chadashot</I> (News)<A title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9"
href="mid://00000263/#_ftn9" name=_ftnref9><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[9]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>
in 1984. This delivered a death blow to reporter solidarity, as it signalled the
end of the necessary, delicate balance between the owners of the media outlets
and their employees.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Today, the majority of journalists are ignorant of the processes that
they themselves are undergoing, and the declining status of journalists has yet
to merit the serious discourse it deserves. It is every man for himself; every
journalist is pitted against his or her employer on an individual basis. The
more conscious reporters bicker about their predicament behind closed doors,
while others have been deluded into self-content by the aura of glamour and
acclaim that still surrounds the profession. On more than one occasion, I have
been dumbstruck by the merry intermingling of journalists with senior managers
and tycoons at press conferences and cocktail parties. The identical wine
glasses in all the attendees’ hands apparently cause the reporters to believe
that they really belong to the same class.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Ironic as it may be, the ones that are seriously pondering the future of
the media are advertising executives, marketing people, and businesspersons. At
conferences in lushly carpeted halls, before sumptuous lunches that provide
another opportunity for networking, these same ad execs run state-of-the-art
presentations. Inasmuch as I have managed to grasp their professional parlance,
the speakers always end their sessions with the same bottom line, which they are
apparently quite fond of: “Content is king”. I would be hard pressed to come up
a word that is as lacking in content as ‘content’; but if content is indeed
king, then its current makers—journalists—are practically slaves.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">*<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>*<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>*<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">At this year’s Sokolow Prize ceremony, Prof. Zohar
Shavit, the chairperson of the award’s Written Press Prize Committee, chose to
broach the topic of journalists' status. “You can’t expect the journalists to
solve the professional crisis of journalism on their own,” she said. “The
journalists cannot protect themselves any more than a textile worker whose
rights are abused.” <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">I disagree with the second part of Shavit’s observation.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Journalists are not on a par with
the oppressed textile worker. After all, scrutinizing reality, as well as
outlining processes and interpreting them, is precisely what journalists do.
They are not exempt from engaging in these tasks when the topic pertains to
their own situation. At the very least, they are obligated to talk<I> </I>and
write. And as far as I am concerned, they should be doing much more.
Organizations should be set up to defend the freedom of the press; to provide
legal support to all members of the profession; and to lobby for appropriate
legislation. Freedom must come from within. From the look of things in recent
years, no one else is going to do the job for them.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: -9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: -9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Published in the Israeli media magazine "The
7<SUP>th</SUP> Eye", 01.07.06<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: -9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<UL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=disc>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>For the Israel Democracy Institute website, the publisher of "The
7<SUP>th</SUP> Eye": (English): </FONT><A
href="http://www.idi.org.il/sites/english/Pages/homepage.aspx"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" color=#800080
size=3>http://www.idi.org.il/sites/english/Pages/homepage.aspx</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></LI></UL>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<UL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=disc>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>For "The 7<SUP>th</SUP> Eye" website (Hebrew): </FONT><A
href="http://www.the7eye.org.il/Pages/home.aspx"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
color=#800080
size=3>http://www.the7eye.org.il/Pages/home.aspx</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></LI></UL>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<UL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=disc>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>For the original version of this article (Hebrew): </FONT><A
href="http://www.the7eye.org.il/articles/Pages/article6312.aspx?RetUrl=/WRITTERS/Pages/anat_balint.aspx"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" color=#800080
size=3>http://www.the7eye.org.il/articles/Pages/article6312.aspx?RetUrl=/WRITTERS/Pages/anat_balint.aspx</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></LI></UL>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-prop-change: ASUS 20080614T1142"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV style="mso-element: footnote-list"><BR clear=all><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>
<HR align=left width="33%" SIZE=1>
</FONT>
<DIV id=ftn1 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="mid://00000263/#_ftnref1"
name=_ftn1><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[1]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman">
</FONT></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman">Channel 10 is
<st1:country-region><st1:place>Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s second
commercial channel, which debuted in January 2002. <o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=ftn2 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="mid://00000263/#_ftnref2"
name=_ftn2><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[2]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman">
</FONT></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman">Established by and comprised of
publishers, editors, journalists and public representatives, the Israel Press
Council is a voluntary body that is dedicated to safeguarding the freedom of the
press and upholding the profession’s ethical standards.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=ftn3 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="mid://00000263/#_ftnref3"
name=_ftn3><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[3]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman">
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN dir=ltr></SPAN><SPAN dir=ltr></SPAN><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I>Yedioth
Ahronoth</I> is
<st1:country-region><st1:place>Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s largest
daily newspaper. Becher claimed that he was fired because he insisted on
publishing investigative articles on senior politicians and business magnates,
despite the strong objections of Rafi Ginat, the paper's editor-in-chief at the
time. According to <I>Yedioth</I>, he was dismissed for leaking information
concerning these internal conflicts to the undersigned.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=ftn4 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="mid://00000263/#_ftnref4"
name=_ftn4><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[4]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> Yosef<SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN> </SPAN>Barel<SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">
was the controversial director-general of the Israeli public broadcasting
service from 2001 to 2005</SPAN>. He was dismissed in an unprecedented manner by
the government due to malfeasance and corruption.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=ftn5 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="mid://00000263/#_ftnref5"
name=_ftn5><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[5]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman">
</FONT></SPAN><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><st1:country-region><st1:place>Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
main public channel.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=ftn6 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="mid://00000263/#_ftnref6"
name=_ftn6><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[6]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman">
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN dir=ltr></SPAN><SPAN dir=ltr></SPAN><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Meir
Shitreet is a long-standing member of the Knesset. At the time, he was serving
as a ‘minister in the Finance Ministry’ (something along the lines of a minister
without portfolio). Benjamin Netanyahu, the ex-prime minister, was serving as
finance minister at the time.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=ftn7 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7" href="mid://00000263/#_ftnref7"
name=_ftn7><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[7]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman">
</FONT></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman"><I><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Uvdah </SPAN></I><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">is an investigative television magazine on
Channel 2 (</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">’s leading commercial television
station), which</SPAN> resembles <I>60 Minutes</I>. <o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=ftn8 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8" href="mid://00000263/#_ftnref8"
name=_ftn8><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[8]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman">
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN dir=ltr></SPAN><SPAN dir=ltr></SPAN><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I>Israir</I> is an Israeli airline
which, at the time, was seeking a permanent license for operating the
Tel-Aviv-New-York route, within the framework of the government's decision to
adopt an "open skies" policy and encourage competition in a market that was
hitherto dominated by <I>El-Al</I>, the former national carrier. In July 2005 an
<I>Israir</I> airplane with 250 passengers nearly crashed while taking off from
<st1:place><st1:PlaceName>JFK</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType>Airport</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. <I>Uvda</I>’s investigative
report focused on this close call and the subsequent attempts by the company’s
senior management to cover up the incident, lest the Israeli Ministry of
Transportation reconsider the awarding of the license. <I>Israir</I>’s owners,
Nochi Dankner, who are among Israel's most powerful business magnates, put
pressure on <I>Uvda</I>’s broadcaster (<I>Keshet</I>) to refrain from running
the piece, and <I>Keshet’s</I> owner, Muzi Wertheim, another business magnate,
consented to their demand. However, the story about the intention to bury the
documentary report was leaked to the printed press and a public outcry ensued.
As a result, the broadcaster was compelled to air the report, albeit two weeks
after originally planned.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=ftn9 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9" href="mid://00000263/#_ftnref9"
name=_ftn9><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">[9]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
dir=rtl></SPAN><SPAN dir=rtl style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN dir=rtl></SPAN><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT
size=3><I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Chadashot</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> was established in 1984 as a daily tabloid. The
newspaper’s founder, Amos Schocken (the publisher of <I>Ha'aretz</I>), sought to
compete with the other tabloids—especially <I>Yedioth Ahronoth</I>—on their own
turf. <I>Chadashot</I> was a fresh, experimental publication, which introduced
new journalism to the Israeli press. However, the newspaper was closed in
December 1993 due to financial reasons. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoFootnoteText
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P></DIV></DIV></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
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