The Jerusalem Press Club, a partner of the National Press Club in Washington, stated last month that it was “thrilled” that its active, paid membership had reached 100.
“Our vibrant community is made up entirely of journalists and members of the foreign press corps, dedicated to covering Israel and the region with integrity and professionalism,” it stated.
The club said it paused its membership program after Oct. 7 to “provide open access and support to all journalists covering the immense challenges in Israel and the region.”
“Since restarting our program, we have been overwhelmed by the response,” it said. “Reaching 100 members so quickly is a powerful testament to the community we are all building together.”
Talia Dekel-Fleissig, CEO of the club, told JNS that “there are less than 400 journalists at this point on the ground” in Israel.
“A quarter of them are depending on their daily access and connections and context through JPC,” she said.
Among the club’s members are the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN and NPR, according to Dekel-Fleissig.
The club is part of the International Association of Press Clubs and the European Federation of Press Clubs, which means that members of any of those affiliated clubs can receive benefits through the Jerusalem club, she said.
In the first four months after Oct. 7, some 5,000 journalists, who came to Israel to cover the war, engaged with the club, compared to “maybe 250 foreign reporters on the ground” prior to the war, according to Dekel-Fleissig.
“Very few of them actually spoke Hebrew,” she said. “They didn’t know exactly where to start looking for certain sources.”
During the upcoming Israeli elections, she said the club aims to help foreign press gain access to Israeli officials.
Typically, “CNN will get an interview or the New York Times will get an interview, but nobody else will,” she said. “We’re going to try to bridge that gap.”
