The Influence of American Jews in the Media

YES, PUBLISHER Joseph Pulitzer (pictured) — often called the father of modern journalism — was Jewish.

And yes, the Ochs and Sulzberger families — who have long controlled the influential New York Times — are Jewish as well.

But it is not true that Jews control the media, says Stuart Schwartz, a Montvale resident and 41-year veteran of ABC News.

“There are many very powerful Jews in media and entertainment, but it’s by no means monolithic,” he said. “Is there a Jewish voice? I would hope not,” he added, noting the exception of specifically Jewish media.

…The newsman said he has often wondered why a large number of Jews have chosen to work in the media and entertainment. Maybe, he suggested, when blocked from other professions, they embraced those where they encountered less discrimination. Or, he said, “possibly they were drawn in because it is an intellectual exercise — it takes some smarts.”

Still, he noted, “the universe [of Jewish media professionals] is still tiny compared to the overall universe. It’s just that, as a Jew, your ears perk up when you hear a Jewish name.”

Read the full article at The New Jersey Jewish Standard

via Bradford Hansen