רשעות השידור": תקשורת וקלטות בחברה החרדית

Discourse based on oral communication parallels the importance of the written word in haredi (ultra-Orthodox) society in Israel. Numerous sermons, lessons and speeches are delivered weekly in the ultra-Orthodox community, a phenomenon which has been virtually ignored in academic research. The audio cassette has become a particularly popular medium in haredi society, used mainly to reproduce sermons and lessons. A stock of over 6,000 titles at any given time is available for purchase or borrowing at an affordable price. This material is essential to any attempt to understand ultra-Orthodox society and religious beliefs as well as the community's problems and how they are addressed. One feature of this society is its total rejection of the secular media, including the press, radio and television, justified by the following arguments: (1) The Israeli media is politically affiliated with the left wing and therefore associated with the PLO. (2) Journalists and reporters have low moral standards and, according to certain preachers, are interested only in publishing sensationalist articles. They do not hesitate, therefore, to block efforts to save people or to disclose valuable information to Israel's enemies. Their low moral standards have a negative influence on society, especially on youth. (3) Spending hours on watching television, listening to the radio or reading newspapers is a waste of precious time which could be better utilized. Essentially, the media belittles the value of time by focusing on insignificant topics. (4) Religious and secular interpretations of reality differ so greatly, that by definition the secular approach cannot apply to a religious person. Most preachers, aware that technology has created new and threatening access to unknown ideologies through the media, are seeking to utilize one particular medium to their own advantage, a phenomenon which may aid in fostering an even more closely knit society within the haredi world.