Orli Barlev

Orli Barlev is an independent journalist and social activist whose work has connected news reporting, civic protest and public accountability. From her years in radio and newsroom journalism to live broadcasts from demonstrations and sustained coverage of the Netanyahu trial, she has developed a form of reporting built on direct engagement with the public and, to a significant extent, support from individual donors. Her career reflects the changing place of independent journalism in Israeli public life as social media became a major arena for information and civic participation.

From radio to newsroom journalism

Barlev was born and raised in Ashdod as the eldest of three children. After completing her military service, she studied communications and management at the College of Management Academic Studies. While still a student, she gained practical broadcasting experience by reporting traffic conditions from a light aircraft for Reshet Gimel.

Between 1997 and 2000, she worked as a journalist for Reshet Bet of Kol Yisrael. During the elections for the 15th Knesset, she covered the Center Party, and later reported on the Histadrut and labor relations in Israel. These assignments placed her close to political and social developments that directly affected workers, families and citizens.

After leaving Kol Yisrael, Barlev spent approximately a year editing on the news desk of Haaretz. She also studied mediation and became a certified mediator. In 2006 and 2007, she wrote columns for the Haaretz website, most of them on parenting and raising children, extending her work into personal and social commentary.

Civic journalism and social protest

The social protest movement of 2011 marked an important turning point in Barlev's work. Together with other supporters of the movement, she helped establish the Facebook page Social Justice – Situation Room. The page described itself as a communications channel amplifying ideas that emerged from the protests. Its model treated the public not merely as an audience for news, but also as a source of information and an active participant in shaping the public agenda.

Beginning in 2013, Barlev worked with other organizations opposing the export of natural gas and the recommendations of the Tzemach Committee. As opposition to the gas framework intensified in 2015, she became one of the prominent voices in the public campaign against it and appeared before the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee on behalf of the Gas Struggle Headquarters. This work illustrated her transition from reporting on public affairs to active participation in debates over decisions with long-term economic and social consequences.

Independent journalism and a direct relationship with the audience

Barlev is associated with the Independent Investigative Fund, which supports investigative journalists through crowdfunding and enables members of the public to participate in supporting reporting projects. As an independent journalist, she has written for The Most Hottest Place in Hell, The Seventh Eye and The Real Economy blog. Her work demonstrates how journalism can be sustained by a community of readers and supporters rather than relying exclusively on a commercial or public media organization.

From 2016 to 2017, she was part of the commentary team on the economic television program Layla Kalkali on Channel 10. In November 2018, she participated in the investigative program The Social Network on Reshet 13, together with Tomer Avital and Eran Hildesheim. These appearances connected her experience in independent journalism with broader media platforms.

In 2018, Lady Globes included Barlev among Israel's 20 leading activists. The recognition reflected her visible role in public debate and the influence of her work on how civic struggles are presented, documented and brought to a wider audience.

Reporting from the streets and covering the Netanyahu trial

In 2020, Barlev provided regular live coverage from demonstrations protesting Benjamin Netanyahu through social media. These broadcasts gave viewers contemporaneous reporting and documentation without relying entirely on a central newsroom or scheduled news program. During one demonstration, she became involved in a confrontation with a police officer who questioned whether she was a journalist. After the incident, the Journalists' Organization issued her a press card so that she could identify herself to police while covering demonstrations.

After the opening of the Netanyahu trial, Barlev began covering the proceedings extensively through live reports. She also hosted weekly online meetings with legal experts and journalists on Twitter. This work combined continuing news coverage with explanations of legal knowledge, helping viewers follow a complex and extended proceeding of major public significance.

Public recognition

In December 2020, Barlev was announced as the recipient of the Sami Michael Prize for Equality and Social Justice, awarded by Ben-Gurion University, the Sami Michael Association and the Kesarim Institute for the Study of Literature. The award ceremony took place on December 8, in recognition of International Human Rights Day.

In 2021, she received the Uri Avnery Award for Brave Journalism for her sustained and in-depth reporting on governmental corruption and for the distinctive knowledge she developed through demanding journalistic work. In April of that year, she also received the Knight of Quality Government Award in the Social Struggle category from the Movement for Quality Government in Israel.

Why this legacy belongs in Moreshet

Orli Barlev merits inclusion in Moreshet because her career documents an important transformation in Israeli public and media culture: the rise of independent journalism, the use of social networks for reporting and documentation, and the growing ability of citizens to participate in creating the public agenda rather than simply consuming it. She connected professional experience in established media with direct civic activity, using journalism to help the public understand demonstrations, economic decisions and legal proceedings.

Her contribution cannot be reduced to one position or award. It lies in developing publicly supported channels of communication, making on-the-ground information accessible and creating spaces where journalists, legal experts and citizens can discuss issues affecting Israeli society. For these reasons, her story adds to Moreshet.com a record of a journalist who worked within—and helped shape—the changes that defined contemporary public discourse in Israel.