Even when it comes to the collapse of the "Israel" brand, the media is not at its finest hour. It willingly adopts the system's version of events, dismisses foreign journalism, and eagerly follows the populist comfort zone of perpetual victimhood. The result? A failure to convey reality and a stubborn insistence that we are, always and forever, in the right. Behold: the six sins of Israeli media (partial list)
In Media Studies: The Fourth Estate
In media studies, the press is often dubbed “the fourth estate.” Alongside the three branches of government—the legislative, judicial, and executive—there exists another domain (mostly privately run) whose purpose is to oversee, illuminate dark corners, critique, expose corruption and injustice, and embody all sorts of other virtues attributed to journalism and journalists.
But what happens to this “fourth estate” in a country where the ruling power is a constant steamroller aiming to sideline the judiciary and legislature and consolidate into a single, centralized authority ruling with an iron fist over every aspect of civilian life?
The answer should be obvious: this should be the media’s finest hour, right? A time to fight tooth and nail against the hollowing-out of democracy. And indeed, many in the media do just that (alongside many others who have fully capitulated). But when it comes to Israel’s image—its plummeting brand value worldwide—all we hear is crickets. And yet, the erosion of democracy and the collapse of our national brand are inextricably linked.
It’s Not a Bug—It’s a Feature
Before we even get to the media outlets themselves, we must understand that the popular sentiment of “the whole world hates us” is not the result of failure (“Why don’t we have proper hasbara?”, “It’s all antisemitism!”), but rather—using military terminology—the desired takeaway, even the desired achievement, of successive Israeli governments. It suits them. It’s not a bug; it’s a feature: it keeps us unified in a shared sense of persecution and gives the government a ready-made excuse and foreign policy framework that requires no thinking.
Why are we being blamed for the collapse of negotiations to release the hostages? Because the world is against us. Why are we accused of war crimes? Because they’re antisemitic. Why are all the credit rating agencies warning us that we’re headed for catastrophe? Because they hate Israel. Simple, convenient, and always effective
Why are we being blamed for collapsing hostage negotiations? Because the world is against us. Why are we accused of war crimes? Because they’re antisemitic. Why do all credit rating agencies say we’re headed for disaster? Because they hate Israel. Simple, convenient, and always effective—but it works on us more than on anyone else.
The fourth estate, with all its accolades, was born in this very climate—and it perpetuates it, consciously or not. Rather than interpret reality, illuminate issues, clarify complexities, or point out fault lines—it surrenders.
Surrendering to a Haunted World
Journalists often see themselves as once-glamorous figures in a profession that used to be desirable. But they are, at the end of the day, part of Israeli society. They are not immune to the long-term effects of our national persecution narrative—especially those under 35 who literally cannot imagine a political system that works differently: with separate branches of government or serious efforts toward resolving conflicts.
Their worldview is shaped by Netanyahu’s perpetually haunted universe. Yes, they’re not a monolith; each would argue that they think independently. But when your entire professional experience as a journalist is framed by one prime minister’s scandals and investigations—even if you’re not part of Channel 14’s propaganda arm—you begin to see Israeli news as waves of scandals crashing endlessly into one another.
This isn’t just the climate journalists live in—it’s also a product they’re expected to sell. It’s their audience’s comfort zone: They hate us and slander us? We breathe a sigh of relief: now we know where we stand.
Surrendering to Fake Professional Ethics
Israeli legacy media has adopted an unwritten oral law—a kind of faux ethical code unrelated to the original Journalists’ Council charter: “I’m just reporting.” Meaning: my job is to forward what I received on WhatsApp—no context, no fact-checking, no curiosity.
Alongside this “I’m just reporting” ethos is an overreliance on anonymous “sources” (as seen allegedly in Qatargate) and adherence to “opinions from both sides,” which declares there is no absolute good or evil—just opinions from both sides.
Surrendering to IDF Spokesperson Narratives
Take, for example, the recent horrific incident where a Golani unit killed medical workers in a Red Crescent convoy and buried them with bulldozers. Once again, IDF Spokesperson followed its usual script:
- “What are you talking about? That didn’t happen.”
- Oops—international media publishes video evidence.
- “Okay—we’ll investigate.”
- “It did happen—but…”
When defense correspondents adopt official narratives without skepticism (let alone journalistic investigation), Israel’s credibility suffers most. The Palestinians almost always prove truthful; Israel appears untrustworthy—a monolithic bloc where military and media are indistinguishable.
Surrendering to Talent Tyranny
Editors no longer have authority over their “talent,” while standards for being considered “talent” keep dropping lower. Got a Telegram channel? You’re now a star! These personalities bypass editors entirely—blurring boundaries between spin and truth.
Surrendering to Provincialism
Our media scoffs at international outlets—dismissing foreign reports unless useful for bypassing censorship—and silences perspectives showing how Israel appears globally.
But foreign outlets rarely lie or invent stories; when they report on innocent children killed in airstrikes—they report facts—and wars that kill civilians are considered big news. This doesn’t make them antisemitic; it reflects Western societies’ sensitivity toward human life.
Israeli media demands others see complexity (“But they started it!”), yet refuses complexity itself: We can be right—and still cause innocent deaths—and know it’s wrong.
Surrendering to Condescension
“You can’t handle reality,” snarls Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. Similarly, our media shields us from truths they assume we cannot handle—or fears backlash from audiences threatening advertiser boycotts.
By hiding truths or framing facts as mere opinions—they erode Israel’s reputation as well as our understanding of reality.
We cannot handle reality—but isn’t it time we tried?
