Institute Objectives

The areas of Institute activity are:

• Basic academic research and position papers for policy planning
  • Index of Public Confidence in the News Media
    This index, developed especially by the Chaim Herzog Institute for Communication, Society and Politics, examines public attitudes toward the news media - the print press, radio and television. The index monitors fluctuations in public evaluations, perceptions and expectations of the news media on an ongoing basis, especially in connection with dramatic events. The index compares such matters in Israel with that in other countries in which such monitoring is also undertaken.
  • The impact of the media on violence against women
    On the basis of analysis of the content of both the quality and popular press in Israel, coverage of the topic of violence against women is examined. The study analyzes the media from two perspectives: As a fashioner of myths and stereotypes concerning the condition of women as victims, and as the party responsible for bringing the matter into the public agenda, and serving as a catalyst for societal awareness and change.
    The study is conducted by Prof. Dafna Lemish, chair of the Department of Communication, Tel-Aviv University.
• Professional activities in the media community
  The Chaim Herzog Institute for Communication, Society and Politics has initiated a training program in professional ethics for the Israeli journalism community. The project is being conducted jointly with the Press Council and the Ethics Center, at Mishkenot Sha'ananim, Jerusalem. The training program aims to enhance professional standards among the community of print and broadcast journalists, as is common in other professions and elsewhere in the world.
• Public activities to foster public awareness of media-related issues, increase knowledge and encourage critical news consumption
  A healthy democracy requires a public that understands the world of communications, is aware of the importance of a free press and its impact, and can follow news coverage critically. The Institute's public activities aim to enhance the media-related knowledge of the news-consuming public, and to impart to that public the tools for critical news consumption. Toward those ends, the Institute is sponsoring public discussions, workshops and activities among the political decision making community.