JERUSALEM | There have never been more ways to instantly access the latest news happening around the world and in our communities, making the role that journalists play as the gatherers and gatekeepers of this information more critical than ever.
A dozen people gathered on January 26 at the Lev Theater in Tel Avi for the Seeds of Peace Media E-Forum to discuss the current state of journalism in Israel. The group included eight Israeli Seeds, several of whom are journalists, as well as a few Palestinians who also work in media.
Key topics of the conversation included coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and representation of minorities and women in Israeli media, as well as the future of media in Israel.
There were no keynote speakers or lectures; the point of the gathering was to have an open conversation between journalists and consumers of media about “the most critical, burning questions in media today,” according to Ashraf Ghandour, Seeds of Peace Alumni Engagement Manager and an organizer of the event.
Itamar (2013 Israeli Seed) expressed that his thoughts on how local media outlets could reach more people without the usual barriers that often separate journalists and their audiences:
“As a user of social media and having been exposed to reporting through the mainstream media, I would suggest that media platforms make the necessary changes to make more stories accessible, in formats that would suit the modern day viewers,” he said. “I think this is where you are missing your audience.”
And in an age where uncomfortable facts are often written off as “fake news” or one sided, the event was also a chance for media consumers to better understand what drives some of the people working in the media.
“What leads my work is sticking to the truth and seeking it out for the sake of my readers,” said Adir (2008 Israeli Seed), an investigative journalist with the Israeli news outlet Ynet. “This is what drives me to be a better journalist.”