Voice of the Sharon

Voice of the Sharon was one of Israel's early local newspapers and an important example of the country's developing regional press. Founded in 1973 by Jackie Fadlon, it was distributed every Wednesday in Netanya and the surrounding communities. At a time when local newspapers were still a relatively new phenomenon, Voice of the Sharon combined local news, investigative reporting, culture, leisure, sport and practical community information.

A local newspaper ahead of its time

Voice of the Sharon was considered innovative when it was established because of its range of content, its unusually large format for a local publication and its use of full-process color printing. These choices gave the newspaper a strong visual presence and helped it appeal to a broad readership rather than only to readers seeking narrowly municipal news.

The newspaper retained a broad character and audience until its final issue. Its regular structure was divided into four sections: local news and investigations; culture and leisure; sport; and an extensive classified and advertising section. In this form, it served simultaneously as a source of news, a platform for regional cultural life and a practical guide to everyday life in the Sharon area.

From a weekly newspaper to a local portal

In 1998, Voice of the Sharon expanded its activity by launching a local internet portal updated around the clock. The move reflected the transformation of the media environment and the newspaper's effort to continue serving residents of Netanya and nearby communities in a digital space as well as through its weekly print edition.

In the period described by the archive material, the newspaper and its portal were led by editor Doron Fadlon and deputy editor Ofira Hasid. Their work included reports and investigations concerning the region. During the newspaper's final year, it added a food section featuring Rebecca Fadlon, chef Golan Yamin and pastry chef Saar Aharoni, extending its local coverage into culinary life as well.

Documenting a community and a place

The importance of Voice of the Sharon lies not only in its role as a news publication. Over several decades, it recorded people, institutions, events and issues that shaped life in Netanya and the surrounding area. Local journalism gives a community a space in which local stories can be heard, regional achievements documented and matters directly affecting residents brought into public discussion.

Its combination of news, investigations, culture, sport and advertising created an immediate record of regional life. Alongside its journalistic reports, the newspaper preserved traces of the interests, language, personalities and initiatives that occupied residents of the Sharon during a period of social and technological change in Israel.

The final issue

The final issue of Voice of the Sharon was published in November 2017. This brought to an end the work of a publication closely associated with Netanya and the surrounding region. Its accumulated record remains significant: decades of reporting documented a local community and showed how regional journalism became part of everyday Israeli social life.

Why this legacy belongs in Moreshet

Voice of the Sharon merits inclusion in Moreshet because it represents an important chapter in the development of local journalism in Israel. Established when regional newspapers were only beginning to take root, it adopted a distinctive color format, brought together a wide range of subjects and later extended its presence to the internet. For more than four decades, it provided a platform for the news, culture and stories of Netanya and nearby communities.

The historical value of a newspaper such as this also lies in its accumulated record. Voice of the Sharon stayed close to the everyday life of its community — its news, sport, culture, businesses and local initiatives — and helped preserve the voice of a particular Israeli environment. For Moreshet.com, an archive devoted to heritage, society and institutions that shaped public life, Voice of the Sharon offers a clear example of how regional journalism becomes part of a community's collective memory.