Can Israel’s Image in the Media be Resurrected?

In a world increasingly dominated by information and news outlets, distinguishing between accurate and biased reporting can be a daunting task.

This conundrum resonates now more than ever in light of the fact that Israel (as per usual) is being totally skewered and raked over the coals by the bevy of mainstream media outlets and the “independent” press as well. The “Fourth Estate” can be and has been ruthless in its presentation of anything even tangentially related to Israel, however, this time around in the wake of the war that Hamas terrorists launched against Israel on October 7th, it hits us relentlessly with both barrels.

The question remains as to precisely how Israel can improve its public relations in a world that is gripped by a deep seated enmity towards the Jewish state.  Mendacious assaults against Israel are far too commonplace and extricating Israel from this public relations morass has become a Herculian or nearly impossible task.

Many years ago the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Communications had entertained the idea of reaching out in pragmatic ways to Jewish media outlets around the world to broadcast highly accurate and verifiable news about Israel. The ministry even convened a worldwide Jewish media summit in Jerusalem where representatives of the world Jewish media involved in print, radio, television and social media gathered together to brainstorm concerning this pressing matter.

Rather than anything relatively productive emanating from it, many representatives felt as though they were being fed the “party line” or even propaganda. Some questioned why the Israeli government press office never offered scoops or breaking stories to the Jewish media but rather kept “feeding the beast” by spoon feeding the adversarial mainstream media. This has proven to be an abysmal failure in a multitude of ways.

According to a recent report on the Calcalistech.com web site, it said that one glaring example of media bias highlighted was the coverage following the accidental bombing of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City last week. A terrorist group had falsely attributed the damage to an Israeli airstrike, leading prominent media outlets like BBC News and The New York Times to propagate this misinformation without proper verification. This misinformation spread rapidly via New York Times app alerts, emails sent to hundreds of thousands of recipients, and social media posts seen by millions.

Media outlets aren’t just failing in terms of basic fact-checking and two-source verification; they also sometimes omit crucial context. For instance, when footage circulated of predominantly Muslim pro-Palestinian individuals storming the main airport in Russia’s Dagestan region, demanding to know the whereabouts of Jews, Sky News merely referred to it as an ‘Anti-Israel protest,’ downplaying both the perpetrators’ intentions and the victims’ peril.

Furthermore, the BBC has faced criticism for not labeling Hamas as a terrorist organization despite being recognized as such by the British government.

In a world where the dissemination of information is increasingly critical and impactful, tools like the utilization of Jewish media represent valuable assets in promoting accurate, unbiased reporting and ensuring a more informed public. With the power of AI and media monitoring, the battle against media bias takes a significant step forward, offering a path to more balanced and fair news coverage.

At this critical juncture in time, the Israeli Government Press Office, the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and the entire Israeli government communications teams must coalesce and give birth to a concrete plan for success in the public relations realm.

Many Jewish newspaper owners as well as web site coordinators and social media experts have concluded that the most propitious trajectory to success would be the generous allocation of funds to assist these media outlets in upgrading their technology as well as hiring more competent personnel who are experienced and qualified to be real journalists who search assiduously for the truth as they continue to courageously debunk the egregious propaganda being incessantly spewed forth about Israel.

Calcalistech.com also recently reported that to address this challenge, Propel AI, a media intelligence company, has launched IsraelTruth, a groundbreaking tool powered by the AI Media War Room. IsraelTruth is designed to identify and expose bias against Israel in mainstream media outlets, providing users with real-time monitoring, in-depth analytics, personalized AI Posts, and efficient reporting.

The AI Media War Room offers a multifaceted approach to media bias detection. As articles from global media sources are published, the system classifies them in real-time and offers users a live snapshot of the volume of biased versus non-biased coverage. Users can also track media coverage patterns over specific timeframes, pinpointing surges in biased content following significant events. The platform includes a customizable dashboard, allowing users to tailor and schedule reports in multiple formats, ensuring that stakeholders remain informed.

Propel co-founder and CEO, Zach Cutler, emphasized the importance of combating bias against Israel in global media. He stated, “Israel gets treated very unfairly in the global media. Fixing that is critical, which is why we’ve been working around the clock since the October 7 terror attack to leverage our technology and know-how toward this effort.” Cutler added, “We are honored to have been able to create the first AI system dedicated to fighting anti-Israel bias in the media and enable PR professionals to quickly identify threats and protect their organizations’ reputations.”

The AI Media War Room and IsraelTruth leverage generative AI technology and a public relations management system, which are offered free of charge during wartime to various governmental and NGO customers. Additionally, a commercial option is available for brands interested in managing their reputation and responding promptly to unfair or negative coverage.

Having said this, it would appear that Jewish media outlets need to create their own “war rooms” with the financial backing of the Israeli government. In this digital age, print publications and bricks and mortar companies are becoming more obsolete with each passing moment. Doors are shuttering, left and right and many publications have resorted strictly to disseminating the news through their web sites and social media platforms. That translates into a dramatic dive in their advertising revenue, which then translates into cutting staff and not meeting overhead costs.

So, yes, folks, the Jewish media is suffering from a fiscal perspective which makes it even more difficult to be the last bulwark against spurious and tendentious reportage on Israel that has become the hallmark of the mainstream media.

This is food for thought for the Israeli government. We ask that you give this matter the gravitas that is deserves as you contemplate the future of Israel’s image in a world that is more than ready to decimate it.