Ariel Feller, a communications consultant, contacted the Commissioner of the Second Authority for Television and Radio, demanding that he examine the manner in which the planned interview on the Uvda program, hosted by Ilana Dayan, with a violent offender who was nicknamed "the Etrog," was promoted.
The appeal comes against the backdrop of a series of serious cases of violence among youth in the past week, which ended in loss of life and sparked a widespread public outcry.
In his letter, Feller points out a stark gap between the way the media covers cases of violence, emphasizing public shock and the need to set boundaries, and the way the interview is promoted through dramatic promos. He says that while public discourse focuses on the severity of the phenomenon and the heavy human cost, the promos send the opposite message, one that creates curiosity and even an aura around a criminal figure.
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According to him, the problem does not stop with the content of the interview itself but begins at the promotion stage. A promo, by its very nature, is designed to attract attention and create anticipation, and it does so through short, sharp, and accessible messages. In this context, Feller emphasizes that this is content that is repeated and burned into the mind, especially among teenagers, who are exposed to it on a wider scale than the full broadcast.
Feller warns that the very act of branding the perpetrator with a unique nickname, alongside presenting him as a central and intriguing figure, may create a blurring between coverage and glorification. He says that when a criminal figure is given a central stage in prime time, using media means that generate interest and identification, the indirect message may be particularly problematic for young people seeking identity and recognition.
He further notes that this is not a technical decision but a value-based choice. According to him, the same program could have chosen to devote its resources to covering the victims, their families, and the human cost of violence, but chose to focus the spotlight on the perpetrator himself. This choice, he argues, reflects media priorities that have broad implications for public discourse.
In his appeal, Feller asks the Commissioner to urgently examine the manner in which the content is promoted and broadcast, to check whether ethical and regulatory rules have been violated, and to formulate clear guidelines that will prevent in the future giving a platform to criminals, including the use of language and framing that create an aura around them.
