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The Jerusalem Post: Israel's Oldest English News Source
The Jerusalem Post, Israel's oldest English language newspaper, was founded as the Palestine Post in 1932 by Gershon Agron. Originally published for the benefit of British Mandatory officials and workers who lived and worked in what was then known a Mandatory Palestine, the paper became a popularly read journalistic edition and helped to portray events major events which occurred during this period, including sensational events such as the bombing of the King David Hotel in 1947, and the declaration of the Independence and creation of the State of Israel in May, 1948. The paper changed its name to the Jerusalem Post in 1950, two years after Statehood.
Originally a left of center paper, expressing the views of the ruling Labor Party, which held onto power until May, 1977, the paper began to become more right-winged in its outlook, especially following it's purchase by a conservative Canadian publishing company in the late 1980's. In recent years, the paper has expressed a right of center journalistic viewpoint, especially in its editorial pages. The Post has also become more religious oriented, and many articles contained within both its regular and on-line editions have definite religious oriented viewpoints.
From an economic standpoint, the paper has tried to express a more capitalistic outlook than during the years when it was often considered to be an organ for the ruling Labor Party. Though it's readership numbers much less than Hebrew language papers (around 50,000) it is still considered as an important news source and often read by a variety of both local and foreign audiences. The paper was sold in 2004 to an Israeli company, Mirkaei Tikshoret Ltd, which embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign to "sell" the paper to Hebrew speakers, especially those with school aged children who are learning English in school. The paper prints a selection of specially written supplements for children ranging from simple English to one designed for students studying English for their High School matriculation exams. The paper also has an international edition, as well as an edition in French. The paper competes with an English language version of the left of center Haaretz newspaper which has a partnership with an international paper, the International Herald Tribune.
The present managing editor is David Horowitz, who took over from Bret Stephens, current editorial editor for the Wall Street Journal, in 2004. Horowitz formerly was managing editor of the Jerusalem Report, a monthly magazine now owned by the owners of the Post.
From an editorial and journalistic standpoint, the views of the Post's journalists and guest writers appear to be a 'counter balance' for the left of center views of the Haaretz English edition, most of who's articles are more sympathetic to the situation of the Palestinians, who currently appear to be locked in an internal civil war. While both papers seem to be strongly competing for their share of the English reading market, the Post appears to reflect a shift in reader sympathy towards a more rightist point of view, following the beginning of the Second Intifada uprising in September, 2000, and last summer's Lebanon II war. The Post also came out recently with a business supplement in Hebrew, the Business Post, in an effort to attract more Hebrew speaking readers.
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