Keshev - The Center for the Protection of Democracy in Israel

National Network
Israel
Address

PO Box 8005
Jerusalem 91080
Jerusalem
Israel

Telephone
+972-2-6221126
Telephone (other)
+972-2-6221127
Fax
+972-2-6221127
E-Mail
ber3@bezeqint.net
E-Mail (2)
schiffman@bezeqint.net
E-Mail (3)
aviva.keshev@gmail.com
E-Mail (4)
yizharb@gmail.com
Mobile Phone
+972-50-5317531
Mobile Phone (other)
+972-52-5288124
Website
http://www.keshev.org.il
Organisation Type
Non-Governmental Organization
Year of Establishment
1997
Fields of Activity
  1. Human rights
General Information
Founded in 1997, Keshev is an Israeli NGO that strives to improve the media and public discourse in Israeli society. Keshev is governed by a board of directors that includes professors, former journalists and social activists. Keshev currently employs five staff persons. In recent years Keshev has received support from the European Commission, the Ford Foundation, the United States Institute of Peace, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Government of Canada. Since 2004, Keshev has been carrying out a unique media-monitoring project in partnership with the Palestinian organization MIFTAH, in which each organization monitors media coverage of the conflict and advises editors in its own side's national media outlets. The project has thus far led to the publication of more than twenty monitoring reports. Keshev promotes critical media consumption among Israelis and has produced pedagogical materials on the subject that are used in communications departments in Israeli universities.
Mission and Objectives

Keshev was founded following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin by Israeli citizens who shared a deep concern about the deterioration of the public discourse and its repercussions for Israeli democracy. Keshev promotes a more moderate media discourse and critical media consumption by carrying out and disseminating media analyses and advocating vis-a-vis journalists, students and media consumers. We advise media editors on how to correct deviations from sound media practices and we teach students and news consumers to evaluate coverage critically in order to acquire informed viewpoints that can help them make reasoned decisions in all aspects of their democratic participation.

Main Projects / Activities

MEDIA ANALYSIS - Keshev monitors six major Israeli media outlets (three daily newspapers and nightly newscasts on three television channels) and analyzes their coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We share our findings with senior editors, students and the public, in order to promote a more moderate media discourse. Since 2005 we have published several studies of media coverage of salient events in the regional conflict, including the death of Yasser Arafat, the Second Lebanon War and negotiations over Jerusalem.
EDUCATION - Keshev introduces young Israeli journalism professionals to their Palestinian counterparts and promotes greater reliance on Palestinian sources. Our organization makes presentations of its findings before students and ordinary news consumers. We also promote to editors alternative, less inflammatory ways of presenting news coverage.

Contact (1) Full Name
Eitan Schiffman (Program Development)
Head of the organisation
Yizhar Be'er (Executive Director)
Contact (2) Full Name
Aviva Shemesh (Project Manager) and Yizhar Be'er