Haaretz owner Amos Schocken has written an open letter appealing for online subscribers. Not surprising considering that Haaretz’s circulation is as low as a 6.1% market share of Israeli print media according to market research carried out for the last half of 2013.
Put simply, the views of Haaretz are utterly unrepresentative of the Israeli public and political system at large. Yet, Haaretz is still considered to be the paper of note by outsiders who consider it to be the Israeli equivalent of the New York Times (no surprise then that Haaretz has embellished this image through a partnership arrangement with the NY Times as the publisher of the Times’ international edition).
[sc:midsignup ]Schocken urges readers to subscribe to Haaretz’s website. In contrast to a journalistic mission statement, this is how he promotes his paper:
By doing so, you will become a partner in the ongoing effort to shape Israel as a liberal and constitutional democracy that cherishes the values of pluralism and civil and human rights. You will become a partner in actively supporting the two-state solution and the right to Palestinian self-determination, which will enable Israel to rid itself of the burdens of territorial occupation and the control of another people.
Schocken also claims:
To put it plainly: If news is coming out of Israel, it is coming from Haaretz more often than not, and if views are sparking controversy, debate and reflection throughout the Middle East or the Jewish world, they either came from Haaretz or are playing themselves out in our op-eds, comments and blogs.
In this he is correct. Despite its low circulation, Haaretz is the newspaper of choice for foreign journalists, commentators and political figures, many of whom share parts of the same agenda as stated by Schoken. While there is nothing wrong in this by itself, Haaretz has taken its agenda-driven mission to an entirely new level, particularly through the reach of its English-language website, which it uses to push its agenda far beyond Israel’s borders. Indeed, Haaretz has, in the past, demonstrated that it is more concerned with its international audience than its domestic Israeli one. Haaretz, unable to exercise any meaningful influence on domestic politics uses its English-language website and print newspaper to encourage external pressure on Israel.
Haaretz is referred to as a credible source and so many negative stories that appear in the international media do so as a result of an initial Haaretz story. Yet, Schocken himself has admitted that Haaretz is anything but objective. And just how far is Haaretz prepared to go to push a political agenda? There appear to be few red lines when one considers the hateful writing of Haaretz star columnist Gideon Levy who won the 2012 Dishonest Reporter Award for manipulating an opinion poll to “prove” that Israel was an apartheid state. And correspondent Amira Hass who brazenly defended Palestinian stone throwing even if it could cause Israeli fatalities.
Schocken’s mission statement is also noteworthy by what it omits. While he is happy to employ positive terms such as “liberal,”pluralism,” and “civil and human rights” what about “Jewish?” This speaks volumes for a media outlet that often looks like it is embarrassed by Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state.
Schocken’s appeal reveals that Haaretz is striving not for objective and accurate reporting but for promoting a political and campaigning agenda. It is incumbent, therefore, that the foreign media see Haaretz as a political entity rather than a primary news source. Even more so than Haaretz, foreign journalists should refrain from promoting their own political agendas when reporting on Israel. Using Haaretz as a cover for biased reporting is unacceptable.
While Haaretz is a product of Israel’s vibrant democracy and press freedom, it also plays a major role in the demonization of Israel. Amos Schoken’s open letter sadly acknowledges that Haaretz is anything but an unwitting accomplice.
[sc:bottomsignup ]
18 Comments
For those who receive Haaretz electronic newsletter (as I do), this article reveals that it is a very biased newspaper. While I knew this already maybe you didn’t. Notice how only 6% of Israelis read the printed paper.
Nothing gave me more pleasure than when I read that the Ha’aretz web site was going “pay”.
No more would people visit to pay for their crap.
Need I say more than “Landau” and “Mamzeera Haas”.
I’ve often thought if I had been caught out in the bush camping and had run out of toilet paper and found a Ha’aretz newspaper lying around from another camper, I would forgo the wipe because wiping with Ha’aretz would only serve to make my ass dirtier than it was before.
An anti-Semite newspaper, whose philosophy is to bend over to the PA terrorists and whose agenda is to destroy what’s left of Israel’s unity. Haaretz op-eds: you are a bunch of disgusting energumen to whom we should wish to go to hell.
I do not become personally impacted as a rule by media per/se. However what you note regarding Ha’aretz is an absolute truth and my dealing with an entity in Ireland that used Ha’aretz as THE authority caused a severe schism in what had been a comfortable relationship and caused a severe anti-Israel posture in Ireland that had not previously been visible and should have not been.
I do not become personally impacted as a rule by media per/se. However what you note regarding Ha’aretz is an absolute truth and my dealing with an entity in Ireland that used Ha’aretz as THE authority caused a severe schism in what had been a comfortable relationship and caused a severe anti-Israel posture in Ireland that had not previously been visible and should have not been.
I would rather give my money directly to Hamas than subscribe to Haaretz.
I SUBSCRIBED TO HAARETZ FOR AWHILE BUT FOUND THE VIEWS AND REPORTING ANTI-ISRAEL. I HAVE SINCE UNSUBSCRIBED.
Almost comical how the Haaretz management is dumbfounded by their lack of support or interest. Why indeed wouldn’t any reasonable person support their extremely biased, dishonest, and antiIsrael distortions?
Really.
i find it laughable and ridiculous that you can call Ha’Aretz “anti-Israel” and anti-Semitic; it reminds me of the pathetic rants of those who called John Kerry anti-Semitic until they were caught with their pants down when it was revealed to them that he is partially Jewish!!! If you consider being “anti-Israel” being against the Fascist, anti-democratic, intolerant trends becoming more and more prevalent in Israeli society then yes, HaAretz is anti-Israel. If you, on the other hand, consider, like I do (and by the way I live here) that Ha’Aretz tries to promote and nurture the Israel that I remember with longing, of enlightenment, tolerance for the other, and humanitarian, socialist values, then Ha’Aretz is as PRO Israel as you can get. Sadly, this enlightened Israel is losing out to religious fanatics and Jewish supremacists. Woe to this wonderful country in which I live.
I stopped reading that lefty rag in 2006, when the Haaretz Talkback editors refused to post my submissions. Simply put, every day,from 2005-2006, I attacked several of their columnists and news reporters ( in Haaretz, news reporting is part of their prpoganda mission). suddenly, they had enough – for 30 straight days, they posted nothing. Of course, the Talkback is filled with comments from Israel bashers from around the world, some of whom are quite Nazi like, Haaretz’s fascist editors seem to love posting their entries. The extreme Jewish left – man, they are really nuts !
Wow!!!!! Realy?? What a surpise.
Maxine Tsvaigrach and Hilde- Kindly SHUT YOUR SHARMUTA MOUTHS.
Being an Israeli newspaper, by publishing all those lies, or even worse “half truths” they do the most damage to the country, hence 1st place (by far) for dishonest reporting goes to Haaretz.
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