Esther Blitz This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Ha'aretz - Article

   www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pag - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/17/2002   Last Visited: 7/17/2002

   Esther Blitz, conducted research toward her master's degree in political science and communications at Bar-Ilan University and found that 61 percent of ultra-Orthodox journalists use a male pseudonym as a byline. Blitz says that sometimes it is the editor who order them to use a male pen name for fear that the ultra-Orthodox public is not yet ready to accept female journalists, and sometimes it is the women themselves who choose not to use their own names. Some of them want to retain their privacy and modesty, while others write for more than one newspaper.
   
   Shalhevet Hasdiel, 31, from Bnei Brak, is currently pregnant with her third child and is the political correspondent for the weekly "Bakehila," among others. She does not sign her full name to her articles, but not by choice. "At first I signed my name, S. Hasdiel," she relates, "and after a lengthy struggle with the editors, they decided to change it to H. Shalhevet. It is still hard for the ultra-Orthodox public and the reviewer, who verifies that the content of the articles and ads published in the paper are permissible under Halakha, to accept a woman in the position of political correspondent.
   ...
   Blitz found that about 90 percent of the ultra-Orthodox journalists aspire to advance and become senior editors at a newspaper. Even so, she was surprised to discover that most of them were not interested in editorial positions in fields that are considered "masculine" in ultra-Orthodox sector, such as politics and public relations.
   
   "Most of them feel that it is fitting for a woman to handle an intense career," says Blitz, "but there are certainly some who see journalism as a platform for raising social and political issues to the public agenda."

2. 2. Ha'aretz - Article

   www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pag - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/16/2002   Last Visited: 7/16/2002

   Esther Blitz, conducted research toward her master's degree in political science and communications at Bar-Ilan University and found that 61 percent of ultra-Orthodox journalists use a male pseudonym as a byline. Blitz says that sometimes it is the editor who order them to use a male pen name for fear that the ultra-Orthodox public is not yet ready to accept female journalists, and sometimes it is the women themselves who choose not to use their own names. Some of them want to retain their privacy and modesty, while others write for more than one newspaper.
   
   Shalhevet Hasdiel, 31, from Bnei Brak, is currently pregnant with her third child and is the political correspondent for the weekly "Bakehila," among others. She does not sign her full name to her articles, but not by choice. "At first I signed my name, S. Hasdiel," she relates, "and after a lengthy struggle with the editors, they decided to change it to H. Shalhevet. It is still hard for the ultra-Orthodox public and the reviewer, who verifies that the content of the articles and ads published in the paper are permissible under Halakha, to accept a woman in the position of political correspondent.
   ...
   Blitz found that about 90 percent of the ultra-Orthodox journalists aspire to advance and become senior editors at a newspaper. Even so, she was surprised to discover that most of them were not interested in editorial positions in fields that are considered "masculine" in ultra-Orthodox sector, such as politics and public relations.
   
   "Most of them feel that it is fitting for a woman to handle an intense career," says Blitz, "but there are certainly some who see journalism as a platform for raising social and political issues to the public agenda."