Coverage of the journalists' protest conference regarding the late Marc Biano award

Dozens of journalists and photographers from the Haifa reporter's office gathered today at the Gaston Defar Center to decide on a course of action after it was learned that the Mark Biano award, the late Haifa reporter who was murdered in the 2003 attack at the Maxim restaurant, will be presented this year to Calcalist editor Yoel Esteron.

The journalists are protesting the choice because Esteron, who was chosen by the committee, is not from Haifa, does not focus on writing about Haifa and does not represent the city in any way.

The conference was moderated by Boaz Cohen from Calvo and Eliran Tal from Channel 1.

Boaz Cohen, journalist, head of the gossip section of the Kalvo newspaper

Eliran Tal, Channel 1 news reporter in Haifa and the north

Those present were amazed to hear that the NIS 30 prize is from the taxpayers' money, thus creating a greater distortion in which the residents of Haifa fund a prize for a journalist who has no connection to Haifa, and all this for reasons that the committee flatly refuses to explain.

for further reading:

• Haifa journalists against the awarding of the Biano Prize to a journalist who is not from Haifa - an explanation of the regulations and the previous winners of the award

The committee consists of several members of the media: Danny Nischlis CEO of Radio Haifa and Tel Aviv, Jacob Shaham Owner and editor of Yediot Haifa, Hanoch Ariel A retired judge, Prof. Gabi Weiman from Haifa University, city secretary Bracha Sela, Florence Beano- The mother of the late Mark andYona Yahav The mayor as involved in decisions.

Those present pointed to the fact that Over the years, members of the media were chosen to represent the media whose representatives sat on the committee, but at least the chosen ones were from the local forces. Now, the winner has no connection to Haifa, the matter is not acceptable to them, the bad smell of foreign interests rises from the decision and they do not intend to put it on the agenda.

The media are outraged that the choice is representative A deepening process of marginalizing the local media as reflecting the authentic voice of the city: The closure of the news department at Radio Haifa and the local television did not receive a response from the municipality; All of these reflect a process of silencing and vigorous courting of forces outside the city. Representatives pointed out that this has been reflected for a long time in the consumption of entertainment factors, artists and professionals outside of Haifa who are probably perceived to be more respected, while the people living in the city are pushed to the margins or required to work for free. Yoram Mark Reich of Haifa News said that he approached the Haifa municipality, Laurie Blum, head of the culture department, with a request to include his old Haifa rock band among the bands performing at the municipal parties, and he replied that if he performed for free, he could participate. According to Mark Reich, Yona Yahav is constantly turning his eyes to Tel Aviv, bringing in Tel Aviv officials who provide the municipality with various services, who disguise themselves as Hifaim by creating a symbolic representation, or by using a telephone or fax number.

The late Mark Biano Award has been awarded since 2004, a year after Mark's murder in a terrorist attack. Several of the representatives sitting there received it for being worthy and according to the criteria of an award for local journalism. Last year Menachem Horowitz received it, but those present decided that he could meet the criteria of a journalist A local who belongs to the North District, although some disagree about his journalistic achievements as a reporter for the program "Saving" compared to several figures who are regularly engaged in reporting on local life. Among the residents there was a demand to award the award to Amos Carmeli, a veteran journalist from Haifa and the North who has made a huge contribution to making the voice of the Northern District and Haifa in particular. Carmeli was nominated to receive it in 2005 and did not win it in the end.
Those present noted that the Haifa municipality ignores them on other festive occasions such as the Haifa Media Conference. The Haifa Theater holds press conferences in Tel Aviv. Even Technion graduates hold their parties in Tel Aviv.
Haifa is no longer relevant in the eyes of all the leading institutions here in Haifa, said one of the attendees. The tendency is to cry over the many young people who are leaving and say that if the Haifaites leave Tel Aviv the local ikiyo will drop, but the municipality is sending the best of its residents to leave the city with its own hands by creating this attitude.

The Haifa media people receive support from the chairman of the Journalists' Association in Jerusalem and one of the representatives, Haim Mador from the Gimel network and one of the former winners, elaborated on the subject.

The journalists stated that they contacted Yahav's office for a meeting and were not answered, requests to the municipal spokeswoman were answered with the answer that the decision regarding the award will not change.
Itai Sheiner, who previously moved with the late Mark Biano and is in contact with his mother Florence Biano, said that she is not aware of the issue and believes with all her heart that the committee is honestly choosing the most worthy among the Haifa writers. Just as the family intended from the beginning and thus she supports it.

The journalists' office stated that turning the late Mark Beano award into a national award, or as it was called "a prize for journalists from the state of Tel Aviv", is "shame and shame both for the award committee and for the municipality of Haifa, which participates in two-thirds of the amount of the award that comes from public funds. All of us, dozens of journalists from Haifa, the Karaites and the North, the Northern Press Room, the Haifa Journalists' Association, along with Ruach Gabit from colleagues in the national press - are united in the opinion that the award should be returned to its original owners, that is, Northern journalists. The national journalists have the Sokolov Prize, which it seems that none of us will be nominated for. If the municipality of Haifa wants to glorify the city's name far and wide, they would do well to invent a new award - the Haifa Media Award, and not at the expense of the Mark Biano Award, who worked by our side until his last day and left us a will to continue his journalistic path in Haifa and the northern region. I call on the Haifa municipality to cancel the award to Yoel Esteron immediately, and to give it to people who deserve it according to the criteria, such as Amos Carmeli.
For decades he faithfully brought our voice to the whole House of Israel. I'm sorry that this is the way things are, but as long as it depends on us, we will not stop until our struggle is successful."

Here are the regulations for the Mark Biano Award, as it appears on the Haifa Municipality website:

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