Rethinking Israeli Journalism

In light of contemporary events in Israel (such as the replacement of the State’s elites and the media revolution) one could expect a change in the media’s coverage patterns of key socio-political issues. The expectation for change is based on the long-held ethical assumption that mass media in a democratic society has a responsibility to express changes in the political system and the weave of society’s social fabric, lending its voice to a wide variety of opinions and positions. However, Sagi Elbaz’s book reveals wide gaps between situations regarding core issues and how these realities are presented in media discourse. According to Elbaz, the Israeli media has reflected different levels of change in the coverage of political, military and economic transformations over time, while its attitude towards national core issues remain basically unchanged.

 

 

Elbaz develops a model asserting the existence of three power groups – political, military and economic elites that use the media to garner public support to maintain the status quo and to justify their continued dominance. Among other things, these Israeli elites are responsible for shaping a core of ideological consensus, whose main tenets are: a) Jewish nationalism; b) a security culture; c) economic liberalism. Attitudes and policy reagarding each of these core issues is produced, replicated and disseminated to the public at-large via the communications media – the apparatus of ideological consensus subject to the control of the elites.

 

 

“The author’s attempt to distinguish between core values and temporary values of the coverage should be appreciated. It is important to discuss Elbaz’s instructive study questions of his book.” – Prof. Arie Naor, Department Chair of Politics and Communication, Hadassah Academic College

 

“Sagi Elbaz’s book is based on multidisciplinary research that provides many innovative, convincing and interesting insights.” – Prof. Eli Avraham, the Department of Communication, University of Haifa 

 

Rethinking Israeli Journalism is based on the author’s Ph.D. dissertation that was awarded for the best dissertation in Political Science in 2013 by the Israeli Political Science Association.