Nonprofit News Organization ISRAEL21c Releases Report on Influencing Youth Opinions of Israel through Social Media
LOS ANGELES (JULY 13, 2023) – ISRAEL21c, a nonprofit news organization and unifying platform that creates space to educate, inform, and initiate meaningful conversations about the Israeli people and their positive impact on our world, released their recent market research project titled Using Social Media to Influence Opinion about Israel. Created as an applied research project and capstone to ISRAEL21c’s Digital Ambassadors Internship Program, the goal of the project was to assess the reaction of 18- to 25-year-old North Americans to ISRAEL21c’s content, providing context as to what types of social media content college students find relevant and engaging with regards to Israel.
The project included survey responses from nearly 400 college-aged students in which participants were shown non-political social media content about Israel and asked whether certain posts provided insight or changed their opinions about Israeli society. Survey respondents’ personal profiles were diverse among gender and religious background – with 52% of respondents identifying as non-Jewish – and represented a spectrum of familiarity with Israel. The content, which was created by the students for their peers, was broken up into four categories of social media posts: Instagrammable spots, amazing women, an ideal day in Tel Aviv, and street art.
Overall, the project found that the young adult respondents reacted positively to the social media posts about Israeli society, with 90% reported gaining an insight into Israeli society from viewing the post and 66% answering that viewing the post left them feeling more positive about Israeli society. A unique finding is that personal attributes – namely gender, religious affiliation, and knowledge of Israel – did not impact someone’s learning or feelings around the social content; rather, the structure of posts determined the results. The more complex posts that include multiple images and explanatory text generate higher reports of learning and gaining insight into Israeli society, while simpler posts with a singular focus on an eye-catching image and idea garner higher reports of emotional response and feeling more positive about Israeli society.
“Young people are looking for media that adds value to their lives. Working with college students, our team hears how Israel is typically presented on campuses and on social media—and it’s limited to a small cadre of people arguing about politics. It’s a turn-off, and most people choose to disengage entirely,” said Jason Harris, Executive Director of ISRAEL21c. “For many in this younger generation, all they’ve heard about Israel is conflict, and that’s what we need to change. College students are curious, and to address that curiosity, nonprofits, philanthropies, and media organizations need to present Israel in the context of something they find relevant and relatable. Once we come together and realize this, we can ignite informed, meaningful conversations that actually introduce the world to real Israelis, not caricatures.”
Additional key findings from the report include:
- As a result of interacting with the post, 43% of respondents claimed to have gone to the ISRAEL21c website, while 30% noted that they either shared the post with others or intended to do so.
- The survey also welcomed respondents to share written feedback to the survey, which shed light upon respondents’ past familiarity with Israel and the Middle East.
- For example, one respondent commented, “I didn’t realize that Israel was allowed to have street art. I get them confused between Iran, Pakistan, etc. Geography is hard for me, and I don’t really watch the news, so I’m not up to date on the things that may be going on. But the art and cities are absolutely beautiful!!”
To view the full analysis and additional insights, download the report here.
“The results of this program can be used as a blueprint for building bridges and illuminating who the Israeli people really are,” Amy Friedkin, Board President, said. “The implications are far-reaching, and they will be a valuable asset for other organizations trying to determine how to best engage with young people around Israel.”
The project was conducted through ISRAEL21c’s Digital Ambassador Program, an internship that recruits young adults with an interest in communications and social media who express a strong desire to “do something good” for Israel without having to enter the realm of politics. The Digital Ambassador Internship implements ISRAEL21c’s goal of reaching those who are unaware or under-educated about Israel, enabling them to connect in a manner that is personally meaningful to them.
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About Israel21c
ISRAEL21c is a nonprofit organization with an on-the-ground team of experienced journalists and content creators who bring to light stories rarely covered in mainstream media. Founded in 2001, ISRAEL21c breaks from the confines of the media’s traditional depiction of Israel, and widens the lens on who Israelis are and what inspires, motivates, and challenges them. We steer clear of the narrow frame of conflict and serve as a unifying platform that creates space to educate, inform, and initiate meaningful conversations. As a nonprofit, it is our mission to bring an accurate, unbiased reflection of life in Israel to the global stage, free of charge. We aim to provide people with a deeper understanding of contemporary life here, and believe that when you bring people together around subjects of substance you can meaningfully effect change.