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IBA Close Up – Israel’s Image in the International Media

Last night’s edition of IBA’s Close Up featured a discussion on Israel’s image in the international media. In the studio were PR professional and ex-Government Press Office employee Jason Pearlman alongside the AP’s Jerusalem bureau…

Simon Plosker
January 29, 2011
12:00 am

Reading time: 2 minutes

I respect Joe as someone who has always been prepared to appear on panel discussions for HonestReporting Missions, arguing the case for the foreign press in a friendly and civilized fashion. However, I really can’t agree with some of the statements he made on this show.

For example, he says that the Palestinians are really on the ball, supplying foreign journalists with reactions to stories that they don’t even know have happened yet. Come on Joe – doesn’t that tell you something?! Doesn’t that make you just a little bit suspicious as to the veracity of the story?

And as for complaints that he can’t just waltz into the Israeli Prime Minister’s residence for an interview with Bibi while he can with the Palestinian president. While admittedly, Bibi hasn’t exactly engaged with the foreign press, how many world leaders are at the beck and call of foreign journalists 24/7?

The 25 minute program also features interviews with former Israeli Ambassador to France, Danny Shek, journalist and author Melanie Phillips and Minister for Public Diplomacy Yuli Edelstein.

View it here in two parts:

The Financial Times Distorts Reality to Paint Israel as Aggressor in Lebanon

▶ How Palestinian Children Are Taught To Worship Death

Pseudo-Journalism: CNN’s Non-Story Demonizes Israel

How CBS News Is Facing A Crisis of Its Own Making

▶ The Iranian Regime at the UN Security Council: When the Perpetrator Plays the Victim

Tags: IBA News, israel, Jason Pearlman, Joe Federman, public diplomacy, UK

Simon Plosker

With over two decades of experience in various non-governmental organizations in the UK and Israel, Simon Plosker returned to HonestReporting in October 2022 as Editorial Director having previously been part of the organization’s management team from 2005 to 2020. Prior to his first spell at HonestReporting, Simon worked in Israel for NGO Monitor, BICOM, and served for a short period in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. He was Managing Editor of the Geneva-based NGO United Nations Watch for two years before moving back to the frontline defending Israel from media bias. Simon has a BSoc.Sc in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Birmingham and an MSc in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics. He immigrated to Israel in 2001 from London.

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