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Outsiders/Insiders: Coverage of Islam in the Israeli media
Last modified: 2011-03-29
Abstract
The media in Israel has an important role in determining Israeli Jewish images of the Israelk Arab populations. This paper examines the coverage of Islam in the Israeli Jewish media focusing upon Israeli journalists’ attitudes to Islam as a criterion of news interest.
Examining the coverage of religion in the Israeli media, in a study by the author which comprised 3,734 religion-related reports over two month period in the Israeli media, the author found that Islam accounts for 1% of the religion coverage (and Christianity 0.4%). No significant difference was found between newspapers, radio and television. Israel’s secular media were incrementally more inclined than the religious media to cover non-Jewish religions.
In order to examine the reasons for the lack of coverage , Israeli journalists, were polled by the author. 250 filled questionnaires were returned. 12% rated Islam as of `very great interest’( in contrast to 25% Judaism), 28% `high news interest’ (28% Judaism), 5% `average news interest’ (32% Judaism), 18% `low news interest’ (11% Judaism), and 34% `no news interest’ (3% Judaism). This paper will discuss the journalists’ responses broken down according to journalists’ religiousity, including religious education, types of media, and political affiliation.
The absence of coverage of Islam in the Hebrew media may be explained as due to the fact that religion affairs correspondents in the Israeli media focus entirely upon the Jewish religion. Coverage of Islamic developments inside Israel is done by of the reporter who covers the Israeli Arab sector, who has little interest in theology.
The lack of coverage of Islam in the Israeli media contributes to a lack of awareness and mutual respect by Israeli Jewish audiences for the Israeli Arab population, widening yet further the Israeli Jewish-Israeli Arab gap.
Examining the coverage of religion in the Israeli media, in a study by the author which comprised 3,734 religion-related reports over two month period in the Israeli media, the author found that Islam accounts for 1% of the religion coverage (and Christianity 0.4%). No significant difference was found between newspapers, radio and television. Israel’s secular media were incrementally more inclined than the religious media to cover non-Jewish religions.
In order to examine the reasons for the lack of coverage , Israeli journalists, were polled by the author. 250 filled questionnaires were returned. 12% rated Islam as of `very great interest’( in contrast to 25% Judaism), 28% `high news interest’ (28% Judaism), 5% `average news interest’ (32% Judaism), 18% `low news interest’ (11% Judaism), and 34% `no news interest’ (3% Judaism). This paper will discuss the journalists’ responses broken down according to journalists’ religiousity, including religious education, types of media, and political affiliation.
The absence of coverage of Islam in the Hebrew media may be explained as due to the fact that religion affairs correspondents in the Israeli media focus entirely upon the Jewish religion. Coverage of Islamic developments inside Israel is done by of the reporter who covers the Israeli Arab sector, who has little interest in theology.
The lack of coverage of Islam in the Israeli media contributes to a lack of awareness and mutual respect by Israeli Jewish audiences for the Israeli Arab population, widening yet further the Israeli Jewish-Israeli Arab gap.