Israel's Media Watch IMW Update Report - #24,
December 20, 1999


-  Help needed
-  IMW news
-  Words of Wisdom
-  Media News from Other Places

Reminder!
You may hear Rami Sadan and Yisrael Medad discussing media issues on their popular radio program "Chofesh HaShidur" (The Freedom of Broadcasting) on Arutz 7, Sunday mornings live! between 8-9AM.

Help Needed:-
IMW will be reviewing and researching the electronic media performance beginning from December 8, 1999 when the news of the reconvening of Syrian-Israeli talks broke. If any of the list members can draw our attention to media ethics infractions such as unbalanced number of guests on interview programs, personal opinion statements by broadcasters, use of loaded terms or phrases, unnecessary aggressive questioning or ridicule, et al., we would appreciate this.


1.  IMW reps will be present at a meeting of the Knesset's Economic Committee this week to discuss a proposed amendment to the Consumer's Protection Law.  MK Avraham Poraz wants to prohibit media personalities from acting in any commercial way that would promote a product or service.  Journalists should not be salespeople is his message. IMW, to prepare for this session, contacted over 30 media ethics groups, institutions and individuals world-wide to obtain their opinion and the experience in their countries.

2.   IMW's director showed up at the court session of the three participants in the 1995 Eyal swearing-in ceremony.  Their trial was delayed until February, in part due to their lawyer's claim that he had appealed to Attorney-General Rubinstein to wait until IMW's petition to the High Court of Justice was heard. As we reported here, IMW is demanding that the State Prosecutor's decision not to indict TV reporter Eitan Oren for staging the film clip of the ceremony
should be overturned.  (see following item)


3. RAVIV TRIALS PUSHED OFF

Arutz Sheva News Service Thursday, December 16, 1999
The trial of GSS-agent provocateur Avishai Raviv, which was to have begun today, was cancelled yet again - for the third time.  The new date: February 2000.  On the other hand, the trial of the three minors accused of taking part in the staged Eyal initiation ceremony began on time today - although its continuation has been put off until a related petition is resolved.  The petition in question was submitted by Israel's Media Watch, demanding that TV cameraman Eitan Oren, who helped stage the Eyal event together with Raviv, also stand trial.  IMW director Yisrael Medad told Arutz-7's Ron Meir today that his petition would only be heard three weeks from now, and that an immediate decision is not expected. 

The full interview with Medad can be heard at
<"http://www.a7.org/engclips/161299/medad-oren.ram">

Likud MK Michael Eitan, standing outside the Eyal-defendants courtroom today, told Arutz-7: "Everyone knows that the Eyal organization was sponsored by the GSS, and that former State Prosecutor Dorit Beinish approved its operation.  They knew of its operation, and now they are putting [this group of three] on trial, and they're calling it a terrorist organization?!  This is ridiculous, absurd, a circus, and I have come here simply to protest these things.  I am sorry that in this country there are many bleeding-hearts who talk about the rule of law and democracy and human dignity and freedom, and yet here, in this place where this whole circus is going on that makes a mockery of all those terms, they all sit at home and are silent - are simply silent. It is just a disgrace."


4.     IMW is requesting clarifications from the Second Radio & Television Authority (SRATA) regarding the appointment of TV military affairs reporter, Ronni Daniel, as SRATA's new Director-General, following the resignation of Nachman Shai who left to assume the position of D-G of the the Tourism Minsitry under the Central Party's Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (husband of media personality Tali Lipkin-Shahak who hosts shows on TV's Channel Two). According to information received, Mr. Daniel lacks the necessary qualification of a college degree.  IMW is checking out the matter and if confirmed, will petition the Civil Servants Commisioner as well as the Attorney-General to reverse the decision taken by the Public Council of the SRATA.

4.   IMW's official complaint regarding the problematic relationship we see existing between Mr. Yaakov Erez, as editor of Ma'ariv and chairperson of the Wye Incitement Committee, and his appointment by Mr. Ehud Barak has been submmitted to the Attorney-General.

5.   IMW still awaits the Attorney-General's decision in connection with our demand that TV news editor head, Rafik Halabi, be suspended while he is under police investigation.  The A-G maintains that he needs to review the police material, unlike in other cases when he demanded not only suspension but resignation even before the police investigation was completed.

Words of Wisdom -
Quotations from the Media about the Media

1.  "During the Netanyahu period, new highs of moral blight were reached. And the
corruption reached into the media.  In the book to be written about Israeli crime, a whole chapter will be dedicated to senior journalists who called for the granting of commutation of [former Shas Interior Minister Aryeh] Der'i before the court decision and for the separation between the suspicions of his "public" and "ethical" graft cases; to guest shows that became platforms for persons under suspicion, those indicted and even those already found guilty.  And so, instead of watching the house, the dog is but wagging its tail".
Chana Kim, Ha'Aretz, November 30, 1999

2.  "I am in this occupation in order to write freely my opinion even in difficult circumstances...I had many tiresome talks with friends and acquaintances from which I learned that they are not willing for someone to mix them up with any fact: the political hate of theirs for Netanyahu has made them irrational and they want to see him sit in jail and fast, whether he did or didn't.
I believe that a serious and fair journalist must be the last candidate to join up with rabble-rousing lynch gangs, running through the streets with a rope in order to string up the fashionable suspect even before his trial. When there's a lynch gang around I take a few steps backwards in order to think and check. Not me nor any other journalists can replace a courtroom..."
Amnon Dankner, Ma'ariv, December 3, 1999


"I wanted so much to appear in the newspapers, the weekend supplements, TV programs -- and it didn't happen.  It didn't work out. I appealed to the editors but they didn't want. I saw other people appearing again and again in the programs and I asked - how come only them? I appealed to Dan Shilon. He wrote me a letter "You don't suit our needs." But he didn't explain me why. How come I'm not suitable? Could you explain me why? I don't understand." I didn't appear in any program. By the way, I don't lose sleep over it. But where is the justice? It doesn't seem right to me that one person appears all the time, and another man works every day until he drops and he doesn't get any exposure. This is unjust. Until today, I can't figure out people like Amnon Levi, Dan Shilon, Rafi Reshef. How do they determine who should appear on their programs? I was many times filmed by the media, but then they didn't broadcast the pictures of me. I asked the reporter and he said, "It's the fault of the editors. What can I do ?" Maybe it's only natural that I don't receive media exposure - My manner of talk is cultured and polite, I don't have a mustache or a beard to identify me, I am not big-mouthed. When going on tours and appearing at events, one has to push himself in the cameras. A "tweeter" like me doesn't always succeed.
MK Yossi Katz, from an interview in Ma'ariv, December 2, 1999

Media Watch News from Other Sources

1.  Saturday Night Live Hanukah skit being reviewed

NBC is deciding whether it will ever rerun a "Saturday Night Live'' skit after a Jewish group complained that the parody of pop stars singing Hanukkah songs was offensive. The sketch, which aired Dec. 4, featured impersonators of pop stars Britney Spears, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey in a mock network promo explaining why they were appearing on an imaginary Hanukkah TV special.

The Spears character, portrayed by actress Christina Ricci, says that Christians have forgiven Jews for "having killed our Lord.'' The Dion character refers to Jews owning all the movie studios and banks.

"It stepped over the line,'' said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. "It wasn't funny and it was offensive and it plugged into some classic anti-Semitic canards. Our switchboards lit up.''   Foxman complained to Rosalyn Weinman, NBC's top broadcast standards executive, who replied in a letter that the pop star parody "was problematic and, therefore, will be excised from all future broadcasts.''

Yet through a spokesman, "SNL'' Executive Producer Lorne Michaels said that "as far as I'm concerned, it's still under discussion.''   Ms. Weinman is away this week and unavailable for comment. NBC spokeswoman Shirley Powell said: "NBC's intention was to not air the sketch again. However, we currently have it under review.''   Foxman said he hoped Ms. Weinman's decision stands.  "Hopefully the next time a skit like this is prepared they will have more sensitivity,'' he said. (NY Post- Dec. 15) 

2.  Czech television head resigns

The head of Czech state television, Jakub Puchalsky, has resigned after narrowly surviving a vote of confidence in the television supervisory council. Mr Puchalsky said the vote showed he had insufficient support to carry out his aims. The vote followed months of criticism for his decision to rebroadcast a propaganda detective series from the Communist era.
Mr Puchalsky said the rerun helped Czechs to deal with their past, but it was branded a disgrace by former political prisoners.  
Source: BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/world/europe/newsid_567000/567112.stm -

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