The Institute for Living Judaism in Brooklyn
ILJB is a non-denominational center for learning that aims to promote tolerance, moderation, and pluralism in furthering the study and practice of our tradition
We offer quality programs to strengthen and expand Brooklyn's Jewish community
Temple Israel of White Plains
People of the Book in the Digital Age: the Impact of New Media on Jews and Israel
Sunday, May 15, 4 PM, ILJB Conference, co-sponsored with Hadassah Brooklyn Region at East Midwood Jewish Center, 1625 Ocean Ave, Bklyn
Presenters:
Adam Dickter, Assistant Managing Editor of The Jewish Week
David Firestone, Editorial Board of The New York Times
Alana Newhouse, Editor-in-Chief of Tablet Magazine
Sam Norich, Publisher of The Forward
Barbara Spack, Past Vice President, Hadassah National
The Afternoon forum on May 15 began with a remarks by Howard Honigman regarding the prominent presence of Jews on the Worldwide Web, as well as the discontinuity between our traditional means of information transmission and those of the Digital Age. To inform us about the impact of this changed technology, he introduced the panel.
After describing how their organizations have adapted to Digital technology, speakers noted that the tasks of gathering and disseminating news (currency of coverage, confirmation of facts, vetting of sources, skill in writing, ethical judgments, etc.) are made more difficult by the competition introduced by unprofessional writing on the internet. Newspapers, having established credibility and quality over years, carry the trust of their readers to pick topics, edit stories, and thus deliver news to people interested in becoming “well informed”. Coverage on the “web” tends to focus on a particular story that people have heard about informally and thus reduces this balanced approach that traditional media have provided.
Criticism of the NY Times as being anti-Israel was deflected with the observation, made by Alana Newhouse of Tablet Magazine, that “People tend to think of the Times as a Jewish paper, then are disappointed if it is not wholly Jewish in its slant”.
To order a DVD of the entire event, contact us at info@iljb.org .