• Open to the public
  • Hebrew

Roundtable on Confidentiality of Journalistic Sources in Israel

The Israel Democracy Institute
4 Pinsker Street, Jerusalem

Conducted in conjunction with Hatzlaha. 

Almost 25 years ago, a landmark ruling affirmed Israeli journalist Ben-Zion Citrin's right to keep his source of information confidential. Recently, two additional Supreme Court rulings have been handed down on this matter as well. On Monday, May 20, 2013, IDI and Hatzlaha, an NGO that seeks to promote good corporate governance in Israel, brought together journalists, legal experts, academics, and thought leaders for a roundtable on confidentiality of journalistic sources in Israel. This event, which examined the limits of freedom of the press in Israel, explored questions such as:

  • What was the significance of the Citrin Rule?
  • Should Israeli legislators create a legal framework to protect confidentiality of journalistic sources?
  • What is the proper relationship between journalists and their sources and journalist and the government?
  • How does the changing newspaper market in the digital age affect the confidentiality of journalistic sources?

Moderator
Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, Head of IDI's Media Reform project

Participants

  • Attorney Ilan Bombach
  • Mr. Ben-Zion Citrin, Editor and journalist
  • Dr. Ilana Dayan, Host of Uvda, Channel 2
  • Justice Dalia Dorner, Former Supreme Court Justice and President of the Israel Press Council
  • Attorney Giora Erdinast
  • MK Zahava Gal-On, Meretz
  • Mr. Baruch Kra, print and television journalist
  • Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer, Vice President, Israel Democracy Institute
  • Attorney Orna Lin
  • Attorney Elad Mann, Head of the Hatzlaha NGO
  • Mr. Hanoch Marmari, Editor-in-Chief, The Seventh Eye
  • Attorney Dr. Yisgav Nakdimon
  • Mr. Amir Oren, Senior Correspondent, Haaretz
  • Attorney Haim Stanger
  • Attorney Yuval Yoaz

Under the leadership of Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, head of IDI's Media Reform project, IDI has been conducting research on confidentiality of journalistic sources in Israel. As part of this study, researchers are formulating a proposal for regulating journalistic privilege in Israel. A summary of the main findings and recommendations of this study can be found below.

Working Paper on Regulation of Journalistic Privilege (Hebrew)