"I Accuse! (The Media)" – Is It True? Binyamin Netanyahu – A Case Study

Abstract

This study, based on a case study, examines the argument that no unadulterated objectivity exists, even in the news. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Noni Moses, Yedioth Ahronoth's publisher, of incessant attacks and slander. I compared texts in 25 issues of two papers: Yedioth Ahronoth, and Israel Hayom, and employed linguistic-rhetorical and pragmatic criteria, in order to illustrate resultant implications according to Grice's (1975) conversational maxims.

The comparison showed that the details were correct, but the difference between the papers lies in the choice of details and the item's placement. Thus, both sources were not objective, but rather conveyed a subjective message, which employed diverse rhetorical means while violating the maxims of cooperation.