Suggested Speakers
- Haggai Matar | @Ha_Matar
Local Call
News under the hammer – lessons and strategies for courageous, independent journalism in repressive media environments @mekomit #ONA17
Session Description
As regimes around the globe take aim at the media and freedom of expression, journalism is at an inflection point. Producing accurate, independent and uncompromising news in increasingly repressive political environments requires innovation, creativity and courage. This panel will explore strategies for reporting in the context of the shrinking space for voices of dissent, growing distrust of mainstream outlets and government cooptation of the media.
The panelists will bring first-hand experience as part of Local Call (Sikha Mekomit in Hebrew) – an independent Hebrew-language news site co-founded by Just Vision and +972. Since its start three years ago, this collective of activists, journalists and bloggers has emerged as a unique voice in the Israeli media landscape, defined by a fierce commitment to human and civil rights, social justice, accountability and pluralism. The platform has quickly become a crucial source for human rights advocates, activists, mainstream media outlets and policymakers alike, providing nuanced and honest reporting that speaks truth to power.
This session will offer practical approaches to news and analysis that brings in diverse perspectives while working in challenging political environments. The panelists will share examples from Local Call’s work and success reporting in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, highlighting their lessons learned and connecting their experiences to broader trends in news production globally.
How does your submission contribute to the diversity of the conference?
Local Call was founded with diversity at its core, both by representing a plurality of voices and by diversifying the Israeli media landscape. The team is unique as it is comprised of Ashkenazi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, Palestinians citizens of Israel, Palestinians living in the West Bank, members of the LGBTQ community and more – all writing and reporting from across the country. Their perspectives are equally diverse, exposing local and international audiences to events and point of views in Israel and the Palestinian Territories that go under-reported elsewhere. Local Call’s team provides fresh, original, on-the-ground coverage and analysis of current events, with a strong focus on civil and human rights issues, the impact of unequal policies and practices on communities across the region and a perspective from the bottom-up. More critically, Israeli and Palestinian journalists have deep expertise in navigating an increasingly restrictive media environment and thus have valuable lessons to share that are applicable to the shifting media environment in the US.