Coalition reforms threaten Israel's independent media

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz will bring his proposal to close Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) to the cabinet for approval on Sunday.  The coalition has also set up a special Knesset committee to advance a bill that would replace Israel’s independent media regulators with political appointees. The change will give the government sweeping authority to fine and sanction news outlets – a move critics warn could permanently reshape the country’s media environment. Another bill under discussion would privatize Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, and close down its news division. Earlier this year, Reporters Without Borders dropped Israel’s ranking to 112 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke about these developments with Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, and the head of the Institute’s Democracy in the Information Age program. (Photo: AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.