Did the media act responsibly during the war? Did it hinder public morale? Were its reports reliable? Were its live broadcasts irresponsible, and did they create a reality instead of report on one? These questions, and others, were raised on Thursday, August 31st, at a joint conference given by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) and the Jerusalem Center for Ethics.
At the conference, Professor Gabi Weimann from Haifa University presented a public-opinion survey which found that a majority of the Israeli public felt certain that the media hindered the public’s morale during the war. Journalist Felix Frish stated that during the first few days of the war, the newspaper he works for, Maariv, decided to report on the situation in a patriotic manner. “And they’re proud of it,” he added.
Itai Engel, a journalist for the Channel Two series Uvda, joined the IDF in Lebanon and filmed part of the battle against Hezbollah with a night vision camera. After part of his video was shown at this event, Mr. Engel remarked that as an embedded reporter, there was no need for commentary. He went on to say that some people saw his report as a tribute to camaraderie while others saw it as a pacifist manuscript. Someone from the crowd questioned Engel’s choice of filming the splattered intestine of a wounded soldier. The audience that filled the auditorium stirred at this statement. Frish came to Engel’s defense. “Friends,” he said, “To put it in layman’s terms, war is shitty.”
In the media, the Israeli public has expressed a surplus of criticism at those who run the army and the government and their failure in the war. However, the public is no less critical of the media. Channel One’s Ya’akov Achimeir pointed out that the media seems to criticize every aspect of our lives, but isn’t willing to be criticized itself.
Among the speakers at this event were some of Israel’s most prominent journalists including Ya’akov Achimeir, Channel One; Felix Frish, Maariv; Itai Engel, Uvda, Channel Two; Moti Shaklar, CEO of Channel Two; Lilly Galilee, Haaretz; and Avi Benihu, director of Galei Tzahal (Israel’s military radio). Other prominent speakers included Professor Mordechai Kremnitzer, Senior Fellow at the IDI; Professor Gabi Weimann, Haifa University; and Professor Yitzhak Zamir, Director of the Jerusalem Centre for Ethics.