At the David Bar-Ilan Media Conference

I was at the College of Judea and Samaria today at Ariel for the annual David Bar-Ilan Memorial Conference on the Media and the Middle East (*). I understand that you can view it at their web site.

It was the best one yet. Interesting, informative, good speakers. My question directed to Dr. Raanan Gissin was picked as one of those to be responded to.

Anyway, I had an opportunity of talking with Ruthie Blum, an outstanding feuilletonist and interviewer at the Jerusalem Post and all-around "good guy", very politically correct as far as I am concerned with a bantering sense of humor (I hope she's mutual on this). Oh, her question was read out, too.

And I had this picture taken to prove it to you all:-



(Pic. credit: JH)


The conference was well-attended and was a fine contribution to the College's academic program.

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(*)
The conference schedule:

Monday, November 13, 2006

Program Itinerary
09:00 - 09:30 Registration
09:30 - 09:45 Opening Remarks
Speaker: Prof. Zilla Sinuany-Stern, Vice President, Academic Affairs, CJS

Session 1
09:45 - 11:15 The Propaganda War: Israel vs. Hezbollah
Chair: Dr. Ron Schleifer, Department of Mass Communications, CJS
Speakers:
Amir Gissin, Director, Public Affairs Dept., Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Steve Linde, Managing Editor, The Jerusalem Post
Dr. Mordechai Kedar, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University, and Department of Israel & Middle Eastern Studies, CJS

Session 2
11:30 - 12:30 Keynote Address
Chair: Yigal Cohen-Orgad, Chairman, Executive Committee, CJS
Speaker:
Gilad Adin, Director-General, News Division, Channel 10
Topic: Israeli Media on the Front

Session 3
14:00-15:30 Foreign News Reporting & the 2006 Lebanon War
Chair: Steve Leibowitz, Editor-in-Chief, IBA TV News
Speakers:
Steven Erlanger, Jerusalem Bureau Chief, New York Times
Dr. Ra'anan Gissin, Strategic Consultant & Former Media & Hasbara Adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Prof. Stewart Purvis, Dept. of Television Journalism, City University London, Former Editor-in-Chief of ITN and Member of Independent Panel Review of BBC Middle East Coverage

Session 4
15:45-17:00 Political Satire & Its Impact on Israeli Society
Chair: Dr. Galit Ben-Israel, Department of Israel & Middle Eastern Studies, CJS
Speakers:
Uri Orbach, Correspondent, I.D.F. Radio & Yediot Ahranot
Ruvik Rosenthal, Columnist, Ma'ariv, Lecturer, Open University & Author
Dr. David Alexander, Department of Communications, Haifa University
Jackie Levy, Correspondent, I.D.F. Radio & Yediot Ahranot

17:00-17:15 Closing Remarks
Speaker: Jeff Barak, Israel Correspondent, The Jewish Chronicle (UK), & Former Editor-in-Chief, The Jerusalem Post