About Israel Social TV Available in Hebrew »

Established in 2005, Israel Social TV is a non-profit independent media organisation promoting social change. Our online archive contains over 5,000 professionally produced video reports and studio programs in Hebrew, most of which are translated into English. About 100,000 people are exposed to their content each month in Israel and abroad via the internet, social media and TV broadcasts. We use the unique power of visual documentation, where intellectual arguments alone might fail to change the hearts and minds of people, promoting human rights and bringing about social change in Israel.
Link for Annual report 2019 >>

Our vision

A more equal society in which people widely consume independent media and see it as a reliable complementary source, necessary for acquiring a critical perspective and making informed choices. We want to promote a society in which the media is operating as democracy's watchdog- that motivates the citizens to take action, to be involved and to become activists. This comes in contrast to the current corporate media that is designed to amuse, to increase ratings and to make a profit from advertising and marketing content. We want to promote a society where the media plays an active role in social change and provides a platform for groups whose voices are not heard. To create a media that promotes values of equality, social justice and solidarity.

Agenda

Israel Social TV sees itself as part of the human rights and social change community in Israel. We work with other human rights and social change NGO's to promote common goals. Our focus is on the plurality of people living in Israel and their environment rather than nationalism, commercial interests and political agendas. Naturally, Israel Social TV is not motivated by commercial considerations and does not sell advertising and marketing content, therefore ratings are a motivator for social change rather than monetary gain. Social TV criticizes the existing social order in Israel, its militaristic chauvinist agenda which always promotes solutions based on power, offering only an ‘us v them’ paradigm of reality, one which is determined by an elite of wealthy families in Israel.

Our Purpose

To be a significant media outlet that leads in promoting radical contents and discourse (an approach that advocates change from the roots, while challenging normative conventions). To disseminate these contents, in order to reach a large audience in Israel and put a crack in the crony capitalism and the hegemonic relationships between capitalists, government and the press. We work to raise awareness, change perceptions, and encourage involvement and activism. We serve as a platform and an amplifier to the radical voices and agendas that get marginalized by the mainstream media.

Strategy

We work through 3 avenues:

  1. Creating video as well as text content: We cover events and produce investigative video reports, magazine and studio programs, focusing on groups and organizations who do not receive mainstream media exposure and on issues where mainstream media does not empower social justice. ISTV has produced 3,000 video articles and studio programs to date.
  2. Content dissemination: Our website is home to all of our productions and serves as a stage for journalists, activists, and organizations with similar agendas. Our database includes all of our materials and serves as an invaluable and unique source of information for writers, researchers and the public. We market our materials online through social media and in cooperation with other websites. We provide information to educators and conduct lectures for media personnel and policy makers. We reach around 75,000 viewers per month via broadcasts on the Community Channel and Hala Arabic TV, available to all cable and satellite subscribers, and through our website, Facebook (we recently exceeded 48,000 followers), YouTube, and other social networks. During the war in Gaza we reached 500,000 individuals on Facebook according to Facebook Insights. We regularly monitor our social media sites and website, read and respond to comments, and use this data to improve our content.
  3. Training: We train social activists by equipping them with the tools of independent media so that they can become part of our team, creating articles and disseminating information. Training is initiated by us, or requested by academic institutions or social organisations.

To fund our work and employ our team, ISTV raises funds from foundations and donors with similar agendas. We produce self-generated income by providing video services to social organizations. We also rely on volunteers, interns and national civil service participants. For further information about financial transparency >>

Target audiences

  1. Social activists: small and medium sized social change organisations, new initiatives and ongoing struggles, aiming to empower their activities, which are usually neglected by the mainstream media or which do not receive positive coverage. Our coverage has often led to follow-up coverage by the mainstream media.
  2. Critically aware media consumers: Many of whom have abandoned the mainstream media and now turn to alternative outlets and social media.
  3. “Center-left” oriented media consumers who wish to update and deepen their knowledge of current issues. Our website offers portals for Society, Politics, Environment and Culture to those looking for a different take on news and current affairs than that offered by the mainstream media, for critical tools and information for greater involvement.

50% of our viewers said watching ISTV made them change their minds or beliefs about an issue and 40% said that ISTV's coverage inspired them to act for change. We have the outreach and the drive to change perceptions and promote joint activism.

Our Team

Employees

Orly Buium - Reporter
Ofir Avigur - Video Editor
Adi Toledano - Video Editor
Ohad Marbach - Video Editor
Maor Barazany - Website Development and Maintenance
Melissa Danz - Resource Development
Hila Tov - Co-CEO
Ehud Shem Tov - Co-CEO, Founder and Editor in Chief

Volunteers

Alon Elisha - Reporter
Hadas Miron - Production
Yudit Ilani - Reporter and Videographer
Tzach Rubinstain - Production


And dozens more of volunteers assisting us on photography, editing, production, translation and more.

 

Board of Directors

Yudit Ilani, Maya Paz, Naomi Leith, Lior Shaked Renous

Auditing Committee

Miri Barak, Ornat Turin

All content creators >>

For full team profile >>