Removing Justitia’s blindfold: the mediatization of law in Israel

Abstract

This article analyzes the process of mediatization in the legal sphere in Israel. It maps the reciprocal relations between legal professionals and journalists in Israel, and examines the impact of the changes that have occurred in the media on the press coverage of the courts, on legal decision-making and on the legal process. Interviews with judges, lawyers and journalists reveal that, despite evidence of the mediatization of the legal sphere, a number of factors serve to contain this process. We suggest the concept of “judinalism” to describe the changed arena of interaction in which there are contradictory processes of acceleration and moderation of the impact of the media on the legal realm in Israeli society.

Mediatization: key concept or conceptual bandwagon?

“…Our results showed that, all of the 13 articles that carried out any primary empirical work on the concept discussed change over time, but the majority (7) demonstrated a 'synchronous' research strategy (Hepp, 2013: 624), that is, their research focused on a single time period (Fortunati, 2005;Jansson, 2002;Kunelius and Reunanen, 2012;Peleg, and Bogoch, 2012;Schrøder, and Phillips, 2007;Strömbäck and Dimitrova, 2011;van Aelst, et al, 2008). Of the remainder that attempted a 'diachronous' strategy (ibid.…”

“…Where articles presented theoretical discussion and/ or primary empirical research, the majority inclined towards the social constructivist rather than institutionalist approach (10 to 3) (Elmelund-Praestekaer et al, 2011;Fortunati, 2005;Jansson, 2002;Kepplinger, 2002;Kunelius and Reunanen, 2012;Peleg and Bogoch, 2012;Reich, 2005;Schrøder, and Phillips, 2007;Schulz et al, 2005; 2011a. compared to Hopmann and Strömbäck, 2010;Strömbäck and Dimitrova, 2011;van Aelst, et al, 2008).…”

Taking Time Seriously? Theorizing and Researching Change in Communication and Media Studies

“…As part of the review, we also looked for use of temporal concepts in these studies. One that received some attention was mediatization, which was typically used to describe media-related change (see Kepplinger, 2002;Peleg & Bogoch, 2012). Many other relevant temporal concepts, such as duration, pace, trajectory, and cycles (see Aminzade, 1992), were not used in any of the studies.…”

Can the Media Serve Democracy?

“…This is what the concept of 'mediatization', which has recently been gaining much popularity, also claims to explain. An increasing number of scholars have adopted the concept for analysing transformations of communication not only in the political realm, but also in the judiciary (Peleg and Bogoch, 2012), science (Peters et al, 2008), religion (Hjarvard, 2008a), sports (Nelson, 2010), and tourism (Jansson, 2002), and in society as a whole (Hjarvard, 2008b;Mazzoleni, 2008).…”