An unending stream of past and present Health Ministry officials, experts in exotic diseases, public relations experts, coronavirus patients, self-isolating individuals and of course politicians has commandeered the screens of the leading television channels in Israel. This is how crises in Israel go, with news studios inundated by a wave of coverage that feels like one continuous broadcast. The problem is that between a conversation with a model in London about the difficulties of adapting to isolation and wisecracks in the studio to break the tension, one gets the impression there’s no time left for the news itself, investigative reporting or meaningful debate.

In Israel today, there are two big crises — one political and the other involving public health. In this environment, are Israeli media asking penetrating questions? How are journalists dealing with politicians trying to evade answers and responsibility? Is media coverage objective or does it display bias? In the digital era, with so many still images and videos available online, and when every citizen armed with a camera or cellphone can be a blogger, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. This reality demands that the media takes it duty to check facts seriously. 

A report about huge lines at supermarkets in Belgium broadcast March 13 on Channel 12’s Friday Studio included footage that left the impression that people were storming supermarkets in a fit of panic buying because of the coronavirus outbreak. This then caused a panic among those who watched it, but it turned out to be fake news. The video was from 10 year ago and filmed in Germany. At the end of the program, the presenter, Danny Kushmaro, apologized to viewers. At the same time, politicians reiterated that there is no food shortage and therefore no need to hoard food. It didn’t matter. The next day, Israelis rushed to the their local grocery stores. 

This isn’t the first time that distorted or inaccurate news item has appeared in prime time, but the timing was terrible. According to research by the Seventh Eye, an independent news site, 55% of journalists surveyed in 2003 said that news reporting in Israel is “full of factual errors and carelessness.” In the ensuing 17 years, not much has apparently changed.