Philipp Peyman Engel, editor-in-chief of the "Jüdische Allgemeine," and psychologist Ahmad Mansour criticize the German media regarding their reporting on Israel during a panel discussion. Mansour also suggests an alternative.
In their view, one of the causes is the composition of many newsrooms. Peyman Engel points out that there are hardly any Jewish journalists working in the newsrooms of established media outlets. Journalists who advocate for a fair portrayal of Israel in their reporting often encounter resistance in many newsrooms and expect career repercussions. This is another reason why he identifies a "failure of leadership" in the upper echelons of German media companies.
Peyman Engel spoke on Monday together with Mansour, FDP politician and activist Karoline Preisler, and Alexandra Krioukov, Vice President of the Jewish Student Union, on a panel discussion about "Jewish Life in Germany." The event was organized by the organization "Christians Standing with Israel.".
When asked about his own experiences on talk shows, the journalist explained that he was usually the "only idiot" there, the one with a fair view of Israel, and had to assert himself against several other voices. Mansour reported similar experiences. He himself doesn't go into talk shows with the intention of winning. Rather, he tries to convey messages. He believes that people who watch these programs are sensitive and have a different perspective on Israel than many journalists.
Mansour painted a bleak picture of the future of journalism. In his view, social media would increasingly overtake traditional media outlets. This trend would lead to a polarized society. He also observed that many established media outlets were reporting in an increasingly one-sided manner.
Therefore, Mansour advocated for new alternative media, which, however, had nothing to do with the self-proclaimed alternative media from, for example, right-wing extremist circles or individual YouTubers, Mansour emphasized. He hoped that these new alternative media would offer less one-sided coverage of topics such as Israel, Islamism, or migration.
"No army spokesperson"
Mansour also criticized social media algorithms, arguing that they reward populist and hateful content with reach. The consequences, he said, are already being felt, with young people exhibiting a lack of empathy and an increasing intolerance of ambiguity. This has been particularly noticeable in discussions about Israel since the Hamas terrorist massacre of October 7th. However, other debates could also be distorted in this way.
Peyman Engel warned that this digital world is spilling over into real life. Jewish student Alexandra Krioukov described what this means. Because of the hatred and the threat of attacks, universities are not a safe place for Jews, she said. She herself took off her Star of David necklace after October 7th. However, she now wears it again because it felt wrong.
Jewish students are often forced to speak out, either because they are directly asked questions or because false claims cannot simply be allowed to stand. However, Jewish students are not spokespeople for the Israeli army or the government. She wishes these roles were kept separate.
Activist Karoline Preisler, who draws attention to the plight of Israeli hostages at countless anti-Israel demonstrations in Berlin, voluntarily engages in discussions. She explained that she feels uneasy about simply letting these demonstrations continue without raising her voice. She also criticized the stance of the previous German government. Many of the remaining hostages are German citizens, yet the government remained silent. (Israelnetz)
