The Seventh Eye

The Seventh Eye is an Israeli independent media organization devoted to reporting on, investigating, and critically examining the media, particularly mass media in Israel. It began in 1996 as a printed journal and later continued primarily as an online publication. Its distinctive contribution has been to make the work of journalism itself a subject of sustained public scrutiny: how news is produced, which interests shape coverage, and how media institutions affect democratic life.

The Seventh Eye has published investigative reports, news articles, commentary, and a regular press review examining how major newspapers cover events and what characterizes their coverage. Its subjects include the conduct of editorial systems, political and personal bias, the structure of the media market, the influence of wealth and government on media organizations, the intrusion of advertising and propaganda into editorial content, and the condition of freedom of expression in Israel.

From a Printed Journal to an Independent Website

The journal was launched in 1996 with funding from the Israel Democracy Institute as a bimonthly publication. Its founding group included Uzi Benziman, who served as editor, along with Nahum Barnea, Carmit Guy, and Rafi Mann, journalists associated with leading Israeli media outlets. The name was inspired by the Hebrew expression “to watch with seven eyes.” In the first issue, founding editor Benziman described the publication as a forum inviting Israeli journalism to examine itself with exceptional vigilance.

Until January 2008, when the final printed issue appeared, the journal published 70 issues. Economic and organizational considerations led to the end of the print edition and the transfer of its activity to the internet. This transition enabled The Seventh Eye to respond more rapidly to current developments and to build an ongoing body of investigative work and media analysis.

Making the Media Accountable

The Seventh Eye does not merely report on public events; it also asks how those events are framed and presented to the public. Its press reviews and media investigations examine editorial decisions, recurring patterns of coverage, and the relationships between media institutions and political or economic power.

This work matters in a democratic society because journalism helps determine which issues receive attention, which voices are heard, and which questions remain outside the public conversation. By examining the influence of wealth and government, the role of advertising, and threats to freedom of expression, The Seventh Eye helped make the media’s own power and responsibility legitimate subjects of public debate.

“Truth in Advertising” and Public Health

A partnership with the Israeli Forum for Sustainable Nutrition produced the “Truth in Advertising” project. It examined advertising campaigns and journalistic publications concerning nutrition, the environment, and public health. The project included critical articles on sensationalist media coverage of scientific studies and on a misleading campaign by food corporations.

The initiative demonstrated how media criticism can have practical consequences beyond the newsroom. It drew attention to the way scientific findings are presented to the public, to the difference between research-based information and marketing, and to the responsibility of journalists when published claims may affect health decisions and consumer behavior.

Editorial Independence and Institutional Change

In November 2012, Hanoch Marmari succeeded Uzi Benziman as the website’s editor-in-chief; Marmari left the position in April 2015. During that period, the Israel Democracy Institute ended its support for the website because of budget cuts. In 2015, the New Israel Fund became the site’s principal source of funding, while the Kohelet Forum was also identified as a donor.

Since April 2015, the website has operated through the nonprofit organization “The Seventh Eye – Independent, Investigative and Free Journalism,” headed by attorney Elad Man and including the site’s writers and editors. Financial shortages led the organization to launch fundraising efforts intended to keep its work going. The struggle to secure funding while preserving editorial independence became part of the broader story of investigative journalism in Israel.

Merger with Shakuf

In September 2020, The Seventh Eye announced its decision to merge with Shakuf, an independent media organization funded by small public donations. The decision followed a vote among Shakuf’s public funders, described as its “publishers.” The merger represented an effort to sustain and expand independent journalism at a time when media organizations were facing technological change, declining revenues, and the high cost of long-term investigative reporting.

A Contribution to Israel’s Public Discourse

Over the years, many journalists and public intellectuals contributed articles to The Seventh Eye, alongside its regular writers. The publication created a continuing forum for questions of accuracy, transparency, accountability, and press freedom—questions that affect how people in Israel understand events and make decisions as citizens.

In 2016, the website received the Dror Prize for Social Change. The recognition reflected a central aspect of The Seventh Eye’s work: it did not only document the actions of media organizations, but encouraged journalists and the public to examine their power, limitations, and responsibilities.

Why this legacy belongs in Moreshet

The Seventh Eye merits inclusion in Moreshet because it established a durable Israeli platform for examining the media and the conditions under which public information is produced. Its evolution from a bimonthly journal into an active website, its investigative reporting and press reviews, and its examination of the relationships among media, wealth, government, and advertising all strengthened a culture of transparency and critical thinking.

The “Truth in Advertising” project extended that contribution into nutrition, environmental issues, and public health, showing how careful media scrutiny can help protect the public from partial or misleading information. By documenting and shaping Israel’s conversation about journalism, freedom of expression, and public responsibility, The Seventh Eye forms part of the country’s civic and media heritage. That is why it belongs in Moreshet and on Moreshet.com—not because it created this conversation alone, but because it became one of the institutions that tested, deepened, and preserved it.