IMW Lada'at - Israel's Media Watch update report 16

Israel's Media Watch Update report #16 - July 4 , 1999

1. IMW has joined Media Monitor International, a respected
media watch group that reviews print and broadcast news media.
Prof. Eli Pollak, IMW Chairman, was appointed to their Advisory
Board.
     Media Monitor International is based in Bonn, Germany with
affiliate groups in Leipzig; Dover, UK; Ostrava, Czechoslovakia;
Calgary, Canada and Washington, USA.
     They publish a bulletin in English, Czech and German. Prominent
media scholars and academics are associated with Media Monitor.
     This is another step in IMW's goal of forming an international
link of media watch dog groups.

2.   Prof. Elisha Babad, IMW Vice-Chairman, was appointed to coordinate a sub-committee of the Second Radio & Television
Authority's (SRTA) public council. It will deal with the problems
of sexual innuendoes and exploitive use of the female body in
commercials. An advertisement was published in the daily newspapers calling for suggestions how to deal with the phenomenon.

3.   The Jerusalem Labor Court finally dismissed the petition of IBA legal affairs pundit, Moshe Negbi, against the decision taken to remove his program, together with an entire hour's slot. The judge, Avi Tivon, noted that while his opinion was that the decision "stank", it was fully legal, lawful and proper.

IMW has long campaigned against Mr. Negbi's unique position
in that the aura awarded Negbi by the IBA has led to an undemocratic
situation which has bred unfairness, lack of balance and personal
opinion instead of objective commentary.

For the Record:

a. "Why did Netanyahu not succeed with "Yediot Ahronot", "Ma'ariv", the first and second television channels, Galatz, Kol Yisrael?
The answer lies partially in the matter of a world-outlook: he was
best when talking to right-wing ears...those whose ears were
in the Left, found it difficult to listen".
Nachum Barnea, "The Seventh Eye", No. 21, July 1999, p. 4

b. "It is an open secret that at the end of election day,
there were those in Television House [operational HQ of the
state-sponsored Israel Broadcasting Authority - IMW] who
leaked to "One Israel" heads the results of the voting-booth exit
poll...IBA employees relate that well-known One Israel
Members of Knesset are already engaging them in matters
concerning the administration of the institution and editorial
judgments of its journalists. The feeling of "owning" the
IBA that politicos of the Labor Party have must be removed
immediately".
Uzi Benziman, "The Seventh Eye", No. 21, July 1999, p. 3

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Israel's Media Watch is a non-partisan civic advocacy group - IMW is a registered non-profit organization whose major aim is assuring the ethical and fair conduct of the Israeli media.