Sderot Media Center is a social-media organization that specializes in presenting the human side of the Sderot rocket reality that has plagued the region over the past eight years.
The international media’s coverage of the Middle East has caused much of the world to misunderstand the Arab-Israeli conflict. The disproportional media coverage of the Israel and Gaza conflict has given legitimacy to the continued rocket attacks on the civilian population in southern Israel.
The mission of Sderot Media Center is to balance the media coverage of the Middle East by presenting the human story and voices of Sderot residents through the arts and media.
Most of the young and dynamic staff of the non-profit Sderot Media Center graduated from the media department at the local Sapir College. The center’s staff lives in the Sderot region and experiences the rocket reality as Sderot residents.
Sderot Media Center focuses in three areas of advocacy:
1. Media Advocacy: Our active website, www.SderotMedia.org.il, videos, photographs, press conferences, articles, research papers, media services for local journalists and international media.
2. Citizen Journalism: SMC provides media tools to local residents to enable self-expression used for social-advocacy (Community Treatment Theater for Sderot high school girls and Sderot Writing Contest).
3. Education Activities: Guided tours for policy-makers, international media, student and tourist groups. SMC also provides multimedia presentations and informational media packets.
New Vision: SMC Information Center for Press, Policy-Makers, and Students
SderotMedia Center aims to build a Visitor’s Information Center, to serve as a central information station in the region. The center will provide media and information services to visiting press, policy-makers and students. There will be a briefing room with SMC staff on hand to provide professional briefings about the security situation and background on the region.
Virtual Tour
Goals:
? Professional briefings for Israeli and foreign press.
? Media services for press (internet, work tables, computer stands, city and regional maps, information videos and more)
? Press Conferences
? Lecture room for multimedia presentations and panel debates for student groups
Briefing Room:
? Digital Archive: Photos, categorized raw footage and informational movies.
? Photo gallery of several themes.
? 3 Computer Stations
? Screening Area: movies that depict and explain Sderot’s reality.
? Large wall maps of the city and region.
? Historic exhibit of Sderot and the western Negev.
? Lounge with couch, chairs, and beverages.
Sderot Media Center’s Clientele
The SMC has provided media services to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jewish Agency, Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (IICC), and the Israel Government Press Office. As of today, the SMC has become the primary source of information on the impact of rocket fire on residents during periods of relative calm and rocket escalation. Sderot Media Center is the only media organization on the ground in Sderot that provides information and media services on behalf of southern Israel.
SMC has proudly serviced the following news outlets in 2009:
CNN, CBN News, De Standard, Norwegian TV, AP, India’s Times Now, BBC radio, EuroNews, CBS, NPR, Australia’s Channel 7, Germany’s ARD, Hong Kong’s Phoenix, South Africa’s Sunday Times, YNet, France 24, Japan’s NHK, Jerusalem Post, NY Times, Sunday Times, Fox News, Channel 2, Channel 10 and more…
Building Renovation:
Adjacent to the Sderot Media Center office located in central Sderot, stands an empty room suitable for the Visitor’s Center and the above-mentioned activities. The room requires renovation and remodeling before it can be utilized into a Visitor’s Center.
For the detailed budget, please contact the SMC director at; [email protected]
