"The West Bank and Gaza have the least developed media legislation framework in the Southern Mediterranean region. Media is governed by the Press and Publications Law of 1995 and the Palestinian Basic Law, which guarantee freedom of expression. However, in practice, the caveats included in the Palestinian Basic Law weaken the protection of freedom of expression. Journalists’ sources protection is guaranteed. However, in practice this is not always respected. Broadcasting lacks independent regulation, with governing bodies of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the de-facto authority in Gaza granting licenses in their respective areas of control. There are currently no laws in force on the right to information access. A 2005 draft law intending to address this gap was put on hold
following the political division that occurred in 2007. A 2023 revision of this law raised transparency concerns, prompting the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate to reject it. Lastly, the 2017 Cybercrime Law – introduced without proper consultation with civic actors
and other stakeholders – faced backlash for threatening freedom of expression and press, prompting amendments in 2018. While the amendment did address some of the concerns raised by the civil society, most notably by removing the articles that directly violated
freedom of expression, it failed to address other serious concerns. These include the provisions under article no 39 which allows the blocking of websites within 24 hours, as well as article 4 that threatens to criminalize users who attempt to access blocked websites.
[...] In terms of traditional media, television (TV) is still the most preferred and consumed information source among survey respondents, with over 50% watching TV every day or almost every day. The three most watched TV channels among survey respondents are the Qatar-owned Al-Jazeera, The PA-run Palestine TV, and the private Maan TV, respectively. Although no primary data were collected in Gaza, desk research and insights provided by interviewed media outlets and organizations that operate across both the West Bank and Gaza, indicate that radio has become the most popular source of traditional media information in Gaza, post-October 7th. This is reportedly due to electricity cuts and internet blackouts. Some of the interviewed outlets and organizations in the West Bank claimed that Al-Jazeera has been proactively promoting its radio station/Audio Hub to meet the information needs of Gazans who are unable to watch TV.
Telegram channels and groups are the most popular primary source of both local and national news among survey respondents in the West Bank. Telegram is known for having more lenient content moderation policies compared to other, bigger social media platforms (e.g., Meta, X, etc.) which have been accused of censoring Palestinian content, repeatedly and systematically. Among the most popular Telegram groups and channels followed by survey respondents are Al-Jazeera, Quds News Network (allegedly Hamas-a liated), and the independent Dooz digital media outlet. This finding is unsurprising yet worrying. Telegram is rife with mis- and disinformation, most of which go undetected and/or unchallenged. To ensure tailored programming that meets the information needs of citizens in the West Bank, media outlets and independent journalists should be equipped and trained to operate Telegram channels that provide impartial and accurate information to local citizens." (Introduction, pages 2-4)
following the political division that occurred in 2007. A 2023 revision of this law raised transparency concerns, prompting the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate to reject it. Lastly, the 2017 Cybercrime Law – introduced without proper consultation with civic actors
and other stakeholders – faced backlash for threatening freedom of expression and press, prompting amendments in 2018. While the amendment did address some of the concerns raised by the civil society, most notably by removing the articles that directly violated
freedom of expression, it failed to address other serious concerns. These include the provisions under article no 39 which allows the blocking of websites within 24 hours, as well as article 4 that threatens to criminalize users who attempt to access blocked websites.
[...] In terms of traditional media, television (TV) is still the most preferred and consumed information source among survey respondents, with over 50% watching TV every day or almost every day. The three most watched TV channels among survey respondents are the Qatar-owned Al-Jazeera, The PA-run Palestine TV, and the private Maan TV, respectively. Although no primary data were collected in Gaza, desk research and insights provided by interviewed media outlets and organizations that operate across both the West Bank and Gaza, indicate that radio has become the most popular source of traditional media information in Gaza, post-October 7th. This is reportedly due to electricity cuts and internet blackouts. Some of the interviewed outlets and organizations in the West Bank claimed that Al-Jazeera has been proactively promoting its radio station/Audio Hub to meet the information needs of Gazans who are unable to watch TV.
Telegram channels and groups are the most popular primary source of both local and national news among survey respondents in the West Bank. Telegram is known for having more lenient content moderation policies compared to other, bigger social media platforms (e.g., Meta, X, etc.) which have been accused of censoring Palestinian content, repeatedly and systematically. Among the most popular Telegram groups and channels followed by survey respondents are Al-Jazeera, Quds News Network (allegedly Hamas-a liated), and the independent Dooz digital media outlet. This finding is unsurprising yet worrying. Telegram is rife with mis- and disinformation, most of which go undetected and/or unchallenged. To ensure tailored programming that meets the information needs of citizens in the West Bank, media outlets and independent journalists should be equipped and trained to operate Telegram channels that provide impartial and accurate information to local citizens." (Introduction, pages 2-4)
