How the People of the Book Became the People of the Media: The Israeli Media Landscape

Leading up to Israel’s eighth decade, its media environment is rich and dynamic; however, the framework in which these media operate has not been as liberal as the large number of outlets may suggest. Upon its foundation, Israel had a vibrant printed press market, which was subject to a licensing regime and developed a close relationship with the military and security establishment. With the collapse of this regime in the early 2000s, it was replaced by a concentrated press industry with intimate and purportedly corrupt ties to government. The broadcast and cable media, which were initiated gradually – public media in the 1960s and commercial media in the 1990s – have always been heavily regulated and supervised by a plethora of regulatory agencies, which are deeply involved in the market structure and with oversight over content. A major characteristic of both media regulatory actions and the actors in the media environment is the existence of commercial government mouthpieces in print and broadcast, alongside documented efforts to control more newspaper, online and television assets. Perhaps a silver lining lies with the online media, which have gone under the regulatory radar and remained unlicensed, both with regard to online news and to entertainment.