David Witzthum

David Witzthum

David Witzthum (Hebrew: דוד ויצטום‎‎; born on January 17, 1948) is an Israeli television presenter and editor and lecturer on German history and culture. He is mostly known in Israel as one of the main presenters of the nightly news program MeHayom LeMahar.

Biography

David Witzthum was born in Petah-Tikva, Israel. His father immigrated from Berlin, his mother from Chernivtsi. He grew up (with his sister Orna) in Haifa and graduated from the Hebrew Reali School in 1966. After military service as a meteorologist in 1966-1969, he earned a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1969–1972).

A year later, he won a scholarship for graduate studies at the Collège d'Europe, in Bruges, Belgium, on European Integration, (Promotion "Mazzini", 1974), and then went to Oxford University, England (political philosophy, 1974–1977, at Wolfson College). Later, Witzhum received his M.A. Degree from the Hebrew University (Political Science) and started research towards Ph.D. at the Hebrew University (2nd and final stage – of actual writing the dissertation on “the image of Germany in Israeli television, 1970–1995”).

He serves on the Advisory Board of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations.

Witzthum is married and has two children and one granddaughter. His wife Tsipora works for the classical music department of Israel Radio. The family lives near Jerusalem, in Mevaseret Zion.

Media career

Witztum has been a journalist with the Israel Broadcasting Authority since 1971.[1] He became chief foreign editor in 1972 and rejoined Israel Radio in 1977 upon return from England. In summer 1982 he was sent to Europe as Bureau Chief and Correspondent in Europe for IBA Television and Radio, stationed in Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany (till 1985). In 1987 he moved to television as Chief Foreign Editor, Israel Public Television (Channel 1) and in 1988 became the first Moderator and Editor of the weekly foreign newsmagazine Roim Olam which started on 20 August 1988. In 1991 he joined Yedioth Aharonoth, Israel's largest daily newspaper, as commentator on Foreign Affairs. As of 1994 – he serves as chief editor, commentator on foreign affairs and moderator of news and culture programs at the News division, Israeli Television (Channel 1) with responsibility to the nightly news program MeHayom LeMahar (From Today to Tomorrow), along with Emmanuel Halperin, and as moderator of the weekly news and culture program Globus.

He has directed and moderated various documentary films, among them: The Nahariyade (2004) German-Jewish History (1996), (both in Hebrew and German versions), From Bittburg to Berlin (1985), The German Green Movement (1984), Germany and Its Past (1983), and many others on Jewish history (e.g. Po-Lan-Ya – the 1000-year history of Polish Jewry, a 7 parts television documentary, 1999), German history and politics, and classical music.

From 1995, he has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem (German History and Communication studies), Tel Aviv University (Political Science and Communication Studies) Open University and other institutions in Israel and abroad.

His book "Mahadura Meyuhedet" ["Special Newscast"] explores Israeli and worldwide television coverage of terrorism and the social role of this coverage.[2]

Published works

Books

Articles

See also

References

  1. ↑ David Witzthum, who watches Channel 1 anymore?, Haaretz
  2. ↑ A ritual restoring of orderHaaretz
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