Haaretz

Haaretz
Type Daily Newspaper
Format Berliner
Owner Schocken Family (60%)
M. DuMont Schauberg (20%)
Leonid Nevzlin (20%)
Publisher Amos Schocken
Editor Aluf Benn[1]
Associate editor Tammy Litani
Founded 1919
Political alignment Liberal, secular, political left
Language Hebrew & English editions
Headquarters Tel Aviv, Israel
Circulation 72,000
(Weekends: 100,000)[2]
Official website http://www.haaretz.co.il
http://www.haaretz.com

Haaretz (Hebrew: הארץ‎) (lit. "The Land", originally Ḥadashot Ha'aretz – Hebrew: חדשות הארץ‎, IPA: [χadaˈʃot haˈʔaʁets] – "News of the Land"[3]) is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet. In North America, it comes out as a weekly newspaper, combining articles from the Friday edition with a roundup from the rest of the week.

Contents

Overview

Compared to other mass circulation papers in Israel, Haaretz uses smaller headlines and print. Less space is devoted to pictures, and more to political analysis. Its editorial pages are considered influential among government leaders.[4] Apart from the news, Haaretz publishes feature articles on social and environmental issues, as well as book reviews, investigative reporting and political commentary. In 2008, the newspaper itself reported a paid subscribership of 65,000, daily sales of 72,000 copies, and 100,000 on weekends.[5] The English edition has a subscriber base of 15,000.[6][7] As of June 2011, Haaretz readership was 5.8% of the public, down from 6.4% the prior year.[8]

Despite its relatively low circulation in Israel, Haaretz is considered Israel's most influential daily newspaper.[9][10][11][12] Its readership includes Israel's intelligentsia and its political and economic elites.[12][13][14] Surveys show that Haaretz readership has a higher-than-average education, income, and wealth; most are Ashkenazim.[7][15] Shmuel Rosner, the newspaper's former U.S. correspondent, told The Nation, "people who read it are better educated and more sophisticated than most, but the rest of the country doesn't know it exists."[7]

History and ownership

Haaretz was first published in 1918 as a newspaper sponsored by the British military government in Palestine.[16] In 1919 it was taken over by Russian Zionists.[17] Initially, it was called Hadashot Ha'aretz ("News of the Land"). Later, the name was shortened to "Ha'aretz". The literary section of the paper attracted the leading Hebrew writers of the time.[18]

The newspaper was initially published in Jerusalem. From 1919 to 1922, the paper was headed by a succession of editors, among them Leib Yaffe. It was shut down briefly due to a budgetary shortfall and reopened in Tel Aviv at the beginning of 1923 under the editorship of Moshe Glickson, who held the post for 15 years.[17] The Tel Aviv municipality granted the paper financial support by paying in advance for future advertisements.[19]

Salman Schocken, a wealthy German Jewish Zionist who owned a chain of department stores in Germany, bought the paper in 1937. His son, Gershom Schocken, became the chief editor in 1939 and held that position until his death in 1990.[20]

Until August 2006, the Schocken family owned 100% of the Haaretz Group, but then the German publisher M. DuMont Schauberg acquired 25 percent of the shares.[21] The deal was negotiated with the help of former Israeli ambassador to Germany Avi Primor.[22]

On 12 June 2011, it was announced that Russian-Israeli businessman Leonid Nevzlin had purchased a 20% stake in the Haaretz Group, buying 15% from the family and 5% from M. DuMont Schauberg. This means that the Schocken family now owns 60% and M. DuMont Schauberg and Leonid Nevzlin have 20% each.[23]

Management

The newspaper's editorial policy was defined by Gershom Schocken, who was editor-in-chief from 1939 to 1990. The current editor-in-chief of the newspaper is Aluf Benn, who replaced Dov Alfon in August 2011.[24] Alfon's predecessor, David Landau, succeeded Hanoch Marmari[25] and Yoel Esteron in April 2004. Charlotte Halle became editor of the English Print Edition in February 2008.

Editorial policy and viewpoints

Haaretz describes itself as broadly liberal on domestic issues and international affairs.[26] Other describe it alternatively as liberal,[27][28][29][30][31] centre-left,[32] left-wing, [33][34][35] or even hard left,[36][37] According to the BBC it has a moderate stance on foreign policy and security issues.[38] The newspaper's op-ed pages are open to a variety of opinions.[39]

J.J. Goldberg, the editor of the American The Jewish Daily Forward, describes Haaretz as "Israel's most vehemently anti-settlement daily paper".[40] US weekly The Nation describes Haaretz as "Israel's liberal beacon," citing its editorials voicing opposition to the occupation, the security barrier, discriminatory treatment of Arab citizens, and the mindset that led to the Second Lebanon War.[7] Aijaz Ahmad, writing in Frontline, described Haaretz as "the most prestigious Israeli newspaper".[41]

Criticism

In 2001, the pro-Israel media-monitoring and advocacy group CAMERA claimed that Haaretz fueled anti-Israel bias,[42] but a 2003 study in The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics found that Haaretz reporting was more favorable to Israelis than Palestinians, and more likely to report stories from the Israeli side.[43] Many Israelis, however, feel that Haaretz isn't loyal enough: in 2002, Israeli author Irit Linur canceled her subscription, accusing Haaretz' of an anti-Zionist theme that turns too often to "foolish" and "wicked" journalism,[44] and in 2009, Roni Daniel, the military and security correspondent for Israeli Channel 2 also canceled his subscription, citing the use of a television review section to criticize his reporting.[45]

According to its competitor The Jerusalem Post, Haaretz editor-in-chief David Landau said at the 2007 Limmud conference in Moscow that he had told his staff not to report about criminal investigations against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in order to promote Sharon's 2004–2005 Gaza disengagement plan.[46][47][48]

In March 2010, The Jerusalem Post reported that a pollster was unhappy with the way his poll results regarding Israeli views regarding President Obama were presented in the English edition of Haaretz, which he felt was "misleading", due to the fact that the Hebrew word "inyani" had been interpreted as "fair" instead of "businesslike".[49] Also in 2010, several columnists at The Jerusalem Post, including deputy managing editor Caroline Glick, criticized Haaretz for its role in the Anat Kamm affair.[50][51][52]

Internet editions

Haaretz operates both Hebrew[53] and English[54] language websites. The two sites offer up-to-the-minute breaking news, live Q&A sessions with newsmakers from Israel, Palestinian territories and around the world, and blogs covering a range of political standpoints and opinions. The English online edition receives an average of two million visitors per month. Both websites have blogs and are open to readers' comments.[55] The two sites fall under the supervision of Lior Kodner, the head of digital media for the Haaretz Group. Individually, Sara Miller is the editor of Haaretz.com (English) and Avi Scharf is the editor of Haaretz.co.il (Hebrew).

Internet blogs and columns

Offices

The Haaretz building, a low-slung building in south Tel Aviv, is situated on a street named for the Schocken family. The Haaretz building houses the art collection of Amos Schocken, one of the country's major collectors of Israeli art, some of it politically subversive.[61]

Notable journalists

Present
  • Avi Issacharoff – military correspondent
  • Sayed Kashua – satiric columnist, author
  • Uri Klein – film critic[64]
  • Yitzhak Laor – publicist
  • Alex Levac – photo columnist
  • Gideon Levy – Palestinian affairs columnist
  • Yoel Marcus – political commentator, publicist[65]
  • Yossi Melman – intelligence
  • Amir Oren – military affairs
  • Tsafrir Rinat – environmental issues
  • Doron Rosenblum – satirist, publicist
  • Natasha Mozgovaya – U.S. correspondent
  • Yossi Sarid – retired politician, publicist
  • Tom Segev – historian, political commentator
  • Ari Shavit – political columnist[66]
  • Yair Sheleg – Jewish religious affairs[67]
  • Nehemia Shtrasler – economic affairs, publicist
  • Simon Spungin – Deputy Editor, English Edition
  • Ze'ev Sternhell – political commentary
  • Yossi Verter – political reporter
  • Esther Zandberg – architecture
  • Benny Ziffer – literature, publicist

Past

Supplements and special features (print edition)

  • All week
News, op-eds, political commentary
Gallery (Culture, entertainment, television and radio listings)
TheMarker business supplement
Sudoku puzzle
  • Friday
Extended news coverage
Musaf Haaretz weekend magazine
Culture and literature
Real estate
Local news
  • Sunday
Sports (extended)
  • Wednesday
Musaf Hasfarim book supplement

See also

References

  1. ^ Aluf Benn named new editor-in-chief of Haaretz, Haaretz, 1 August 2011.
  2. ^ Dov Alfon named as new Haaretz editor-in-chief, Haaretz, 12 February 2008.
  3. ^ "Israel Press, Media, TV, Radio, Newspapers – newspaper, television, news, circulation, stations, papers, number, print, freedom, broadcasting, advertising, role". Pressreference.com. http://www.pressreference.com/Gu-Ku/Israel.html. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  4. ^ Beckerman, Gal (September/October 2005). "Disengaged". Columbia Journalism Review. http://cjrarchives.org/issues/2005/5/beckerman.asp. Retrieved 2007-06-21. 
  5. ^ Haaretz service. Dov Alfon named as new Haaretz editor-in-chief. Haaretz, Feb 13, 2008.
  6. ^ Haaretz stuff (2007-10-26). "Subscribe to Haaretz". Haaretz. https://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/objects/pages/SubscribeEn.jhtml. 
  7. ^ a b c d Stephen Glazin (2007-09-06). "Ha'aretz, Israel's Liberal Beacon". The Nation. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070924/glain. 
  8. ^ "Israel Hayom Surpasses Yedioth Ahronoth to Become Country's Most-Read Newspaper". Israel Hayom Newsletter. July 20, 2011. http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=429. Retrieved July 21, 2011. 
  9. ^ Lucy Dean, ed. The Middle East and North Africa 2004. Europa Publications, 2004.
  10. ^ Michael Karpin. The Bomb in the Basement. Simon & Schuster, 2006.
  11. ^ Irshad Manji. The Trouble with Islam Today. St. Martin's Press, 2003.
  12. ^ a b Rebecca L. Torstrick. Culture and Customs of Israel. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006
  13. ^ Idith Zertal, Chaya Galai. Israel's Holocaust and the Politics of Nationhood. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
  14. ^ Elizabeth Poole, John E. Richardson. Muslims and the News Media. I.B.Tauris, 2006/
  15. ^ Dan Caspi, Yehiel Limor. The IN/Outsiders: Mass Media in Israel. Hampton Press, 1999. p. 79.
  16. ^ TAU – Institute of Jewish Press and Communications – The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Center
  17. ^ a b A fine and fragile balance
  18. ^ Encyclopedia Judaica, Newspapers, Hebrew, vol. 12, Keter Books, Jerusalem, 1978
  19. ^ Haaretz history, Tom Segev
  20. ^ A newspaper's mission – Haaretz – Israel News
  21. ^ M. DuMont Schauberg. Press-release. Last accessed: 16 August 2009.
  22. ^ Germany's DuMont invests 25m euros in Haaretz, Haaretz, August 13, 2006.
  23. ^ Globes report on Nevzlin's investment in Ha'aretz
  24. ^ "Problems at Israel's Haaretz: Newspaper Without a Country – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International". Spiegel.de. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,599005,00.html. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  25. ^ Hanoch Marmari speaks about Haaretz http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:fIMAMItDFyMJ:www.pij.org/details.php%3Fid%3D376+gershom+gustav+schocken&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4
  26. ^ Haaretz.com. About Haaretz.. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  27. ^ Dan Caspi. Media Decentralization: The Case of Israel's Local Newspapers. Transaction Publishers, 1986.
  28. ^ Ira Sharkansky. The Politics of Religion and the Religion of Politics: Looking at Israel. Lexington Books, 2000.
  29. ^ Rebecca L. Torstrick. Culture and Customs of Israel. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006
  30. ^ Idith Zertal, Chaya Galai. Israel's Holocaust and the Politics of Nationhood. Cambridge University Press, 2005
  31. ^ "Israeli media vents fury at Likud". BBC News. 2002-12-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/middle_east/2583675.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-04. 
  32. ^ Al Jazeera English - The death of Israeli democracy
  33. ^ "Middle East | Sharon orders Gaza pullout plan". BBC News. 2004-02-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3451497.stm. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  34. ^ "Israeli authors urge ceasefire talks with Hamas". Reuters. 2007-09-24. http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSL24528048. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  35. ^ "Premium content". Economist.com. 2007-02-01. http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_RGNGSVV. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  36. ^ Intermountain Jewish News
  37. ^ Evelin Gordon, Listen to the Left
  38. ^ "The press in Israel". bbc.co.uk. 8 May 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4969714.stm. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
  39. ^ Sharkansky, Ira (2005). Governing Israel: Chosen People, Promised Land, & Prophetic Tradition. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers. p. 43. ISBN 9780765802774. http://books.google.com/?id=dlhmWNcqlrAC&pg=PA43. 
  40. ^ Are Religious Soldiers To Blame for Alleged Abuse? J.J. Goldberg, The Forward, April 3, 2009. Re-linked 2011-09-11
  41. ^ Israel's colonial war Frontline
  42. ^ Levin, Andrea. "Ha’aretz Fuels Anti-Israel Bias". CAMERA. http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=55&x_article=171. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  43. ^ Matt Viser. Attempted objectivity: An analysis of the New York Times and Ha'aretz and their portrayals of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics. 2003, Vol. 8, No. 4, 114–120.
  44. ^ Irit Linur's letter (quotation) News First Class (Hebrew)
    – Translation: it is a person's right to be a radical leftist, and publish a newspaper in accordance to his world view... However "Haaretz" reached a stage where its anti-Zionism turns too frequently to foolish and wicked journalism. Original:
    זכותו של אדם להיות שמאלני-רדיקלי, ולהוציא עיתון בהתאם להשקפת עולמו... אבל "הארץ" הגיע לשלב בו האנטי-ציונות שלו הופכת לעתים קרובות מדי לעיתונות מטופשת ומרושעת.
  45. ^ שכניק, רז (2009-01-16). "עד מתי אוקטובר 65'" (in Hebrew). מוסף "7 לילות" של "ידיעות אחרונות". 
  46. ^ Limmud diary: Creme de la Kremlin?
  47. ^ Media Matters: Peripheral vision – one Acre and half a dunam
  48. ^ Shame on 'Haaretz' by Isi Leibler, Jerusalem Post, November 6, 2007} Retrieved 2011-09-11
  49. ^ Gil Hoffman, "Haaretz fiddled with Obama poll", Jerusalem Post, March 22, 2010.
  50. ^ Michael Freund, Fundamentally Freund: Awakening the Left", Jerusalem Post, April 14, 2010.
  51. ^ Caroline Glick, "The Haaretz spy scandal: Haaretz provides Israeli affirmation for anti-Israel attitudes", Jerusalem Post, April 16, 2010.
  52. ^ Ben-Dror Yemini, "Haaretz could not be more wrong – or misleading", Jerusalem Post, April 20, 2010.
  53. ^ חדשות, ידיעות מהארץ והעולם – עיתון הארץ
  54. ^ Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel, Israeli News Source
  55. ^ Ten ways to make sure that peace stays dead – Haaretz – Israel News
  56. ^ "Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel, Israeli News Source". Haaretz.com. http://www.haaretz.com/strenger. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  57. ^ "Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel, Israeli News Source". Haaretz.com. http://www.haaretz.com/mozgovaya. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  58. ^ "Haaretz Group". Haaretz.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071101001814/http://www.haaretz.com/rosner. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  59. ^ "Haaretz.com senior editor Bradley Burston wins award for Mideast journalism – Haaretz – Israel News". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/762913.html. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
  60. ^ Haaretz Online, Shimon Peres (2007-11-07). "Peres Online". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/peres. 
  61. ^ The Dissenters The New Yorker
  62. ^ Haaretz.com senior editor Bradley Burston wins award for Mideast journalism – Haaretz – Israel News
  63. ^ Haaretz correspondent Akiva Eldar wins Mideast journalism award – Haaretz – Israel News
  64. ^ a b Haaretz reporters Klein, Reznick win Sokolov Award for Journalism – Haaretz – Israel News
  65. ^ Fellow journalists to honor Haaretz commentator Yoel Marcus in Eilat – Haaretz – Israel News
  66. ^ http://www.indopubs.com/is4.html
  67. ^ Special Report
  68. ^ Haaretz journalist Ehud Asheri dies of cancer at 57 – Haaretz – Israel News
  69. ^ <http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/905834.html>
  70. ^ The long goodbye – Haaretz – Israel News
  71. ^ Daniel Ben-Simon: Why I'm leaving journalism for politics – Haaretz – Israel News
  72. ^ Gidi Avivi: Irresistible look at a master - Haaretz

Further reading

External links

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