Israel’s media reform isn’t deregulation

Israel's parliament has approved a sweeping overhaul of the country's broadcasting system, a move Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi described as a triumph for "content, competition, and freedom" and the completion of a "right-wing reform."

However, critics contend that the reform is not a move toward genuine market deregulation. Instead, they argue it redistributes market advantages, weakens protections for independent journalism, and places a politically exposed regulator in charge of the new system. A free press, they emphasize, requires more than the absence of government censorship; it necessitates news organizations operating without reliance on political favor for access, approval, or financial stability.

For decades, Israeli broadcasting law maintained a structural separation between commercial television channels and their news-producing entities. This arrangement, though imperfect, provided newsrooms with some institutional distance from their owners' commercial and political interests. The new law dismantles this separation and eases cross-ownership restrictions. This allows companies with broader commercial interests to exert more direct control over news production, content, and distribution.

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content, competition, and freedom

While the reform may lead to an increase in the number of television channels, a larger quantity of outlets does not automatically guarantee a wider diversity of independent voices. Furthermore, the law grants significant advantages to new news providers, potentially requiring existing television platforms to carry certain channels without payment. This provides immediate viewer access and valuable distribution infrastructure.

During the legislative process, requirements concerning journalistic standards, ownership transparency, and editorial independence were either removed or weakened. The author argues this is not neutral deregulation but a market redesigned by the state, benefiting selected participants with statutory advantages while reducing public obligations for news production. The law also creates an asymmetry in how technology is treated, reducing obligations for Israeli broadcasters while leaving international streaming services, which hold significant influence, largely outside the new framework.

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completion of a 'right-wing reform'