Michael Freund on Israel and the Blogosphere

From the Jerusalem Post:

As archeologists continue to excavate the site of the Mughrabi Gate alongside the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, it remains anybody's guess what they might just find underneath the mounds of soil, rock and debris.

But one item already unearthed by this dig should have us all deeply concerned, and that is the mainstream media's disgraceful habit of parroting Arab propaganda.

As one tool for addressing the problem:

In order to better counter the Arab propaganda machine, the Jewish state should actively reach out to its many supporters in cyberspace, and especially in the blogosphere, for help in disseminating the truth.

Freund suggests how to tap into the potential of the Blogosphere--and not just the JBlogosphere:

This can be accomplished by launching a concentrated and effective outreach effort aimed specifically at influential bloggers, who should be courted with the same resources and commitment as the mainstream press.

The government and Jewish groups should begin by organizing periodic fact-finding tours of Israel for key bloggers, giving them a chance to learn firsthand about the situation here in the region.

An annual conference of pro-Israel bloggers, attended by key Israeli statesmen and personalities, could help to galvanize what is already a burgeoning network of support for the Jewish state.

It is also crucial that Israeli spokesmen and leaders take the blogosphere into account when formulating their media strategies and messaging tactics, both by sending them relevant information and making sure to keep them in the loop.

SURE, mainstream entities such as CNN, the BBC and The New York Times will continue to dominate the news business for years to come. But the battle for public opinion is far from being a lost cause. Israel just needs to start thinking a little more creatively about how to wage the battle. By working with our allies in the blogosphere, Israel can begin to turn the tide in its favor and chip away at the falsehoods being spread by the press.

If we can't beat the media, let's circumvent it. Reaching out to bloggers seems like a good place to start.

One Jerusalem has taken steps by inviting bloggers to conference calls with Natan Sharansky, Bibi Netanyahu and others. One thing that I would like to see is resource material--especially video--made available for bloggers for reinforcing the impact of their posts.

The key is to see to what degree Israel follows up on Freund's suggestions.

Update: This is not the first time the idea has been raised about Israel looking towards blogs as a way of getting the word out and bypassing the MSM. Way back in October 2003, Israel actually held a conference about advocacy where the topic of blogs was raised and An Unsealed Room was there:

Pow-Wow at the Israeli Foreign Ministry

If blogging has been light over the past few days, it's because I've been in Jerusalem most of the time attending this:

The Foreign Minister is currently hosting a three-day seminar to coordinate public relations efforts with heads of three privately funded Israel advocacy groups.

Gideon Meir, the ministry's deputy director-general for Public Affairs, said that "taking into consideration that the public relations budget is continuously on the decline, the fact that groups have sprouted up to help Israel advocacy in the US, and provide services worth a great deal of money, is something very welcomed by the Israeli government."

Among those attending the seminar are Jennifer Laszlo-Mizrahi, head of the Israel Project, which conducts polling and focus group studies, helping the government craft its messages abroad, and Larry Weinberg from Israel 21C, a group that places stories about Israel dealing with matters other than the conflict in the media.

I am sad to report that the Israeli government officials I am meeting with have never even HEARD of a blog. Sort of kills the theories about the Israelis paying off people like Charles and Michael.

Seriously, I have been trying to make some of them understand that there are these amazing people out there called bloggers who are advocating for Israel for FREE on their own time -- and many of them aren't Jewish OR fundamentalist Christians.

Go over to An Unsealed Room's original post to read her other impressions.

Over 3 years later and Michael Freund has to reintroduce the idea.
Not a good sign.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Blogging and JBlogosphere.