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By Reuven Koret February 19, 2007
In the life of every publication and every career, there are moments of stock-taking or, to translate from the Hebrew, "soul accounting." I have reached a watershed moment in my position as publisher of Israel Insider, and I would like to share it with you, my readers.
This week marks completion of six years that Israel Insider has been publishing daily. We have posted more than ten thousand news and views articles, contributed by more than 300 writers from across the spectrum of opinion within Israel and without. Google shows more than 300,000 search results for us and Google News picks up each of our articles.
While our popularity ranks far behind the English online editions of Israeli print newspapers, we have earned respectability and we are read each month by more than 100,000 unique visitors. The average time spent on our site is more than 10 minutes, way above the industry average.
We feature article and opinions that won't show up in mainstream publications, and the quality of our maps and interactives is second to none. Israel's Story in Maps, created in interactive Flash technology, originally commissioned by Israel's Foreign Ministry and still used as its primary cartographic reference, has been sold in tens of thousands of CDs.
We occupy a unique position in the Israeli publishing spectrum: more diverse than a blog but less bound by tradition than a news site; staunchly pro-Israel but sharply critical of government foolishness and corruption; strongly supportive of Jewish traditions but not bound by rigid ideology; providing a platform for Christian Zionists who care deeply for the Jewish State; willing to take more risks than most others in our editorial policy.
We were among the few mainstream publications that raised serious questions about the official version of the Rabin assassination. We uncovered evidence that Arafat died of AIDS. We fiercely explained the perversity of the "disengagement" -- a realization now shared by virtually every Israeli. We coined the term "Hezbollywood" and were at the forefront of those who uncovered falsehood in media coverage of the Lebanon war.
Israel Insider has been a labor of love for me. We have managed to almost break even financially, thanks to a bit of advertising, direct mailings, and reader contributions, for which I am deeply grateful. But the "almost" has added up over time, and created a deficit. In difficult times one needs to make hard decisions.
I was raised to believe that "just getting by" is not enough. If you're not going to do things right, it's best not to do them at all, or to do them differently.
My company does a number of high profile projects for pro-Israel causes. We are proud of our work for birthright israel, for Israel21c, for Israel's Foreign Ministry, for programs of the Jewish National Fund, for the AVI CHAI foundation, Itim, Eretz Acheret and the Israel Venture Network's ISRAEMPLOY. Most of these are not-for-profit ventures and the question arises as to whether Israel Insider should not also go the not-for-profit route.
On the other hand, we are a technology company as well as a content publisher, having developed applications for digital marketplaces and syndication such as Jewish Content as well as social and knowledge networking applications such as Shmooze. We may be wise to seek out angel or early-stage investments and use Israel Insider as the basis for an expanded product that goes well beyond a traditional magazine.
The common denominator among these alternatives is that I don't really want to go it alone any more. Israel Insider can't live up to its full potential without substantial outside help, both in terms of funding and in terms of marketing and management expertise.
Thus I am turning to you, my readers and supporters, with an open question: would you, or someone you know, be interested in partnering with me in taking Israel Insider to the next level, investing -- whether as an angel in a for-profit enterprise or as a philanthropist in a not-for-profit organization -- to realize the potential of this independent voice for a strong and rational Jewish state, committed to publishing the unvarnished truth and creating products that serve the interests of our people and our nation? Or would you at least be willing to lend a hand? Here's your chance to vote with your hands.
After six years of publishing, day in and day out, perhaps the time has come for me to take a break, to have, like the trees, a shmitta year, a professional sabbatical. Sometimes I feel too "out there," exposed, without the security of a steady flow of income or the financial backing other publications take for granted. It's a risky position for me and my family, and for my small, hardworking staff.
If you have enjoyed Israel Insider over the years and feel that it contributes something valuable to your world -- please send a contribution so that we can not only survive, but also thrive and take our mission to the next level. Even if there is no major partner but broad "grass-roots" supports, that would suffice for me as a vote of confidence.
I believe that we would need at least $50,000 to revamp and expand the site and to restore its competitive advantage. No contribution is too small, but please try to be as generous as you can so that we can live up to our promise and flourish as a bold and independent voice for Israel and the Jewish People in these most challenging times.
You can send contributions via check, bank wire, or credit card/paypal) to donations at israelinsider.com or by checks payable to Koret Communications LLC, c/o K. Malley PC, 2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600
Arlington, VA 22201.
I also warmly welcome your non-financial contributions -- of ideas and suggestions, ad and marketing partnership possibilities, joint venture or charitable ideas, or even just encouraging words -- to be sent to me at publisher@israelinsider.com And you can also help by clicking on our ads, and responding to our mailings. It all adds up.
Based on your response, and our financial situation, I hope to reach a decision by the end of the month whether to wind down, or ramp up, and share that decision with you. It's a short month. :)
If you google me, you will come to an article I wrote five years ago: "I am a Zionist."
Despite the disenchantments in Israeli governments of recent years, my words remain as heartfelt now as ever, and I retain my faith in the People of Israel. I believe I can speak for many hundreds of thousands with a fierceness and clarity rarely found elsewhere. I hope I can continue to serve my people, and my readers, in this capacity.
Come what may, my heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you for your support and encouragement in the past six years. I hope to keep earning your trust in the years to come.
Reuven Koret
Publisher
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