The Times of Israel – Ownership, Bias and Media Profile

The Times of Israel is a Jerusalem-based online newspaper that has become one of the most widely read English-language sources for news from Israel, the broader Middle East, and Jewish communities worldwide. Since its launch in February 2012, the publication has positioned itself as an independent outlet focused on comprehensive coverage of Israeli politics, security developments, and cultural affairs.

The platform operates around the clock, offering live updates during breaking events while maintaining editions in seven languages including English, Arabic, French, Chinese, Persian, and Hebrew. With readership expanding from 2 million monthly users in 2014 to 9 million by 2021, the publication has established itself as a significant voice in international coverage of Israeli affairs.

This profile examines the organization’s ownership structure, editorial stance, coverage approach, and how it compares to other major Israeli news outlets operating in English.

What is The Times of Israel?

The Times of Israel was founded in February 2012 with the stated mission of providing comprehensive English-language coverage of Israeli affairs. Within two years of launch, the publication had already accumulated approximately 2 million monthly readers, a figure that would more than quadruple over the following decade.

Key facts about the publication:

• The outlet claims independence from any political affiliation or partisan alignment
• It operates a liveblog function providing real-time updates during breaking news events
• The platform hosts more than 9,000 bloggers as of 2013, expanding its range of perspectives
• Since 2016, the outlet has partnered with international Jewish publications including The Jewish Week and Jewish News
• Editorial staff includes professionals with backgrounds at other major Israeli publications, including former Jerusalem Post journalists
• The Instagram account has accumulated approximately 219,000 followers
• A daily briefing podcast offers audio summaries of major developments

Who Owns The Times of Israel?

The Times of Israel operates as a co-venture between two principal figures: David Horovitz, who serves as founding editor, and Seth Klarman, who holds the position of chairman. Horovitz maintains an active editorial role, while Klarman provides strategic oversight through his position as chairman.

David Horovitz

Horovitz established the publication and has repeatedly emphasized that the outlet maintains no formal political affiliation. His editorial leadership has guided the publication through its growth phase and various operational challenges, including security incidents and editorial controversies. Prior to founding The Times of Israel, Horovitz worked as a journalist covering Israeli politics and current affairs.

Seth Klarman

Klarman is an American billionaire investor who founded the Baupost Group, a Boston-based investment firm. Beyond his financial activities, Klarman serves as chairman of The David Project, a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening the relationship between the American Jewish community and Israel. His involvement in the publication extends beyond financial investment to include strategic guidance as board chairman.

Funding Model

Revenue for The Times of Israel is derived primarily from advertising. The publication does not operate a paywall for general news content, relying instead on advertising partnerships and sponsored content arrangements to sustain operations.

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What is the Bias of The Times of Israel?

Assessments of The Times of Israel’s editorial stance vary across different media bias monitoring organizations. Multiple rating services have examined the publication’s coverage patterns, though conclusions differ somewhat depending on the methodology applied.

Ratings from Bias Monitoring Services

Media Bias Fact Check identifies the outlet as left-center in orientation with a bias score of -2.5, while rating its factual reporting as high with a score of 1.8. The organization notes that the publication uses reputable wire services including the Associated Press, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and The New York Times as sources.

Biasly assigns a somewhat left designation with a -12% bias rating and characterizes reliability as average. AllSides, alternatively, classifies the outlet as center, reflecting disagreement among different assessment methodologies.

Coverage Patterns

According to available analyses, The Times of Israel generally covers Israeli and Middle Eastern affairs with a neutral journalistic approach, reporting on developments affecting multiple parties in conflicts. However, the publication has faced criticism regarding its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with some observers noting a pro-Israel framing in coverage of the Palestinian territories.

The platform maintains a large network of contributor blogs alongside its core editorial content. These blogs represent diverse perspectives, though media analysts have observed that opinion and commentary content on the platform tends toward left-leaning viewpoints.

During the 2023-2024 conflict in Gaza, some observers noted that coverage appeared less balanced toward Israeli military objectives compared to other Israeli publications. The outlet has not recorded any failed fact checks according to Media Bias Fact Check, suggesting adherence to factual reporting standards.

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What is The Times of Israel Live Coverage?

The Times of Israel operates a dedicated liveblog function designed to provide continuous updates during significant events. This live coverage approach has become central to the publication’s identity, particularly during periods of heightened regional tension.

Live Update Format

The liveblog feature aggregates updates from correspondents, wire services, and contributor networks into a single continuously updating feed. During major developments in Israeli politics or security situations, editors curate these updates to provide readers with real-time information as events unfold.

This format allows the outlet to cover breaking situations including military operations, diplomatic negotiations, and domestic political crises as they develop, competing with broadcast media in providing immediate coverage while adding analytical context.

Coverage Scope

Live coverage encompasses Israeli military operations, diplomatic engagements, domestic political developments, and broader Middle Eastern affairs. During the 2023-2024 conflict in Gaza, the liveblog function provided extensive minute-by-minute updates on military operations, international diplomatic responses, and humanitarian developments.

Beyond breaking news, the publication maintains coverage of ongoing political developments including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure, coalition negotiations, and legislative activities. However, specific details regarding editorial treatment of Netanyahu’s leadership remain limited in available sources.

How Does The Times of Israel Compare to Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews and Israel Hayom?

Understanding how The Times of Israel positions itself relative to other major English-language Israeli news outlets provides context for readers selecting among available sources. Direct comparative data varies in availability across different outlets. Readers seeking to explore additional Israeli news sources may find guides to Israeli news outlets helpful in understanding the broader landscape.

Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post represents a longer-established presence in Israeli English-language journalism. Editorial staff transitions have occurred between the two publications, with The Times of Israel hiring professionals who previously worked at the Jerusalem Post. Both outlets experienced similar controversies involving fraudulent op-eds in 2020, though the Jerusalem Post is generally characterized as occupying a more conservative editorial position than The Times of Israel.

Ynetnews

Ynetnews operates as the English digital extension of Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel’s largest circulation newspaper. Comparative data regarding its bias positioning remains limited in available sources, though the outlet benefits from the resources and reporting infrastructure of its parent organization.

Israel Hayom

Israel Hayom operates primarily as a Hebrew-language publication distributed free of charge, with its English digital presence more limited. The outlet has been frequently described as maintaining alignment with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s political positions, placing it at a different point on the editorial spectrum compared to The Times of Israel’s center-left characterization.

Timeline of Key Developments

1. February 2012: The Times of Israel launches as an online-only publication, becoming the largest English-language Jewish and Israeli news source by audience
2. 2013: Blogger network expands to include more than 9,000 contributors
3. 2014: Monthly readership reaches approximately 2 million users
4. 2016: Partnership program established with international Jewish publications including The Jewish Week and Jewish News
5. 2017: Turkish hackers execute cyberattack, temporarily defacing the website
6. 2020: Op-ed scam discovered, fraudulent content removed from the platform
7. 2021: Readership grows to 9 million unique monthly users generating 35 million page views

What is Established Versus Uncertain?

Reviewing available information reveals clear factual anchors alongside areas where uncertainty persists or where conclusions depend on interpretive assessment.

Context: Role in Israeli Media Landscape

The Times of Israel occupies a distinct position within the ecosystem of English-language Israeli journalism. As an online-only publication without print operations, it represents a newer model of news gathering and distribution compared to traditional newspapers that transitioned to digital formats.

The outlet’s positioning between center and left-center on the editorial spectrum places it in relative contrast to other major English-language Israeli publications. While the Jerusalem Post maintains a more conservative orientation and Israel Hayom has been associated with government-aligned coverage, The Times of Israel has carved out space for coverage that draws on mainstream wire services while maintaining editorial independence.

The publication’s liveblog function and around-the-clock update model reflects the competitive pressures facing digital news operations, where immediacy increasingly determines audience engagement. This approach has supported the publication’s growth trajectory while creating dependencies on real-time event coverage that may vary in intensity.

The blogger network, while extending the publication’s reach and perspective diversity, also introduces content that may not undergo the same editorial review as core staff reporting. This structural characteristic affects how bias assessments must consider the publication as a platform rather than solely as an editorial operation.

Sources and Credibility Indicators

“The Times of Israel launched February 2012 as the largest English-language Jewish/Israeli news source by audience.”

— Wikipedia, The Times of Israel entry

“The editor-in-chief has stated no political affiliation.”

— Wikipedia

The publication draws on wire service content from established news organizations including the Associated Press, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and The New York Times. These sourcing relationships provide baseline credibility while allowing the outlet to extend coverage through its own reporting and analysis.

Media bias monitoring organizations including Media Bias Fact Check, Biasly, and AllSides have assessed the publication, providing third-party evaluation of editorial positioning. The lack of any failed fact checks recorded against the outlet indicates consistent adherence to factual reporting standards.

Summary

The Times of Israel represents a significant voice in English-language coverage of Israeli affairs, Middle Eastern developments, and Jewish community news worldwide. Founded in 2012 by journalist David Horovitz with strategic guidance from chairman Seth Klarman, the publication has grown from launch to reach 9 million monthly readers while maintaining a center-left editorial positioning and high factual reporting standards.

The outlet distinguishes itself through live coverage capabilities, multi-language editions, and an extensive blogger network that extends its perspective reach. Comparisons with other major Israeli publications reveal distinct editorial orientations, with The Times of Israel occupying a more moderate position than the conservative Jerusalem Post or government-aligned Israel Hayom.

Readers seeking comprehensive understanding of Israeli affairs benefit from consulting multiple sources, recognizing that each outlet’s editorial positioning shapes coverage character while factual reporting standards vary across the landscape. Those interested in additional analytical frameworks may explore resources on media bias interpretation to develop informed consumption practices.

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