An investigation of mainstream media in Israel coverage reveals a clear preference for the far-right coalition across all outlets, far exceeding its actual political power in the Knesset and its popularity in the polls. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receives coverage hundreds of percentage points higher than any other politician, while Hadash-Ta’al, Arab and female elected officials are consistently excluded from media attention, according a The Seventh Eye investigation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explains the occupation of Lebanese and Syrian territories by the Israeli army, Friday, April 17, 2026 (Footage: GPO)
The Seventh Eye is Israel’s only independent, investigative magazine devoted entirely to journalism, the media, freedom of speech, and transparency. Its staff and contributors publish exclusive news, analysis, and investigative reporting on these issues and more daily. The data includes all appearances of Knesset members and ministers in mainstream media outlets in the period between November 1, 2025 and February 16, 2026. The media outlets examined are Kan 11, Keshet 12, Reshet 13, Kan Reshet B and Galei Tzahal.
The main finding from the investigation is that the coalition receives 68% coverage in mainstream media compared with only 32% for the opposition. Government members naturally receive more media coverage, but the disparity is several times greater than the actual percentage of coalition members (57%) or the support for them in the polls, and as we will see below it also extends to additional coverage categories. “This is a distinct imbalance that limits the ability of opposition members to make their voices heard and spread their messages and gives coalition members a clear advantage in advancing their agenda. This problematic situation becomes even more significant in an election year, when media coverage translates directly into political influence.”
When examining the data on an individual level, the main finding is the extensive coverage received by Netanyahu, who has a strong grip on the Israeli media. The prime minister, who is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, takes first place on the coverage chart with 6,548 minutes of airtime during the period examined. in mainstream media outlets in the period analyzed. This figure is even more astonishing considering that Netanyahu has boycotted the Israeli media and has not been interviewed by them for five years. In addition, most of his statements to the media do not include questions from reporters and yet, until recently, were broadcast in their entirety on prime-time news in Israel.
A huge gap can be identified in the lack of representation of MKs from the Hadash-Ta’al faction. MK Mansour Abbas, chair of Islamist Ra’am party, is the Arab representative who receives the most coverage, but he only comes in 26th place among all politicians, with only 481 minutes of airtime. The next Arab representative is MK Ahmad Tibi from the Hadash-Ta’al parliamentary faction, who received 243 minutes of airtime and came in 52nd place. MK Ayman Odeh, chair of Hadash-Ta’al received 227 minutes of airtime and came in 56th place in the chart.
The full investigation: https://www.the7eye.org.il/582368
