Our research and teaching focus on the opportunities enabled to individuals and communities through the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their attempt to realize their freedoms and promote their wellbeing.

In particular, we focus on marginalized populations on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, migration, health, and life circumstances, examining various communication technologies and platforms. For example, some of our recent studies include the representations of Israeli-Arabs in broadcast news, the utilization of ICTs by individuals leaving Jewish ultra-Orthodoxy, and the digital solicitation of organ donations on social media.

The three questions leading us are: (1) What should be our expectations from the media and ICTs in a fair society? (2) What can the media and ICTs enable individuals to do and be? (3) What are the media and ICTs currently enabling individuals and different communities to realize today?

Former team members

Prof. Dr. Yossi David (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)

Dr. Yael Bar-Tzedek (Bar Ilan Univeristy)

Isabella de Sousa Gonçalves M.A. (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

Recent publications

  • Eliashar, R., Zilberstein, T., Shmulewitz, D., & Lev-Ran, S. (2025). Reported Increase in Substance Use Following Exposure to Terrorism, and the Roles of Current Distress and Prior Mental Health Difficulties: Evidence From a Population Sample of Jewish Adults in Israel Following Hamas October 7 Attack. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 267, 112207.
  • Zilbersten, T., & Shomron, B. (2024). Schizophrenia depictions in the media: A cross national analysis. Schizophrenia Research, 274, 171-177. doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2024.09.016
  • Shomron, B. & David, Y. (2024). Protecting the community: How digital media promotes safer behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic in authoritarian communities, a case study of the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel. New Media & Society, 26(3), 1484-1504. doi.org/10.1177/14614448211063621
  • Eliashar R, Zilberstein T, Shmulewitz D, Skvirsky V, Vider M, Lev-Ran S. (2024). Reported Increase in Substance Use Following Mass Terrorism and the Role of Psychosocial Factors. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(7):e2423993. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.23993
  • Shomron, B. (2024). Media representations and capabilities: An intergroup analysis of Muslim-Arabs, Bedouin, Druze, and Christian-Arabs. Mass Communication and Society, 27(1), 75-100. doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2023.2243253
  • Schejter, A. & Shomron, B. (2024). Communication Rights and Capabilities. In M. Puppis, R. Mansell & H. Van den Bulck (Eds.), Handbook of Media and Communication Governance (pp. 358-371). Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 9781800887190. doi.org/10.4337/9781800887206.00038 

Recent conferences

  • Shomron, B. (September 2025). October 7th, and the media representations of the Ethiopian community in Israel. Presented at the 23rd Israel Association for the Study of Language and Society Annual Conference. Tel Aviv University, Israel.
  • Shomron, B. (June 2025). Cherished in war: the media representations of the Ethiopian community in Israel. Presented at the 75th International Communication Association (ICA) conference “Disrupting and Consolidating Communication Research”. Denver, Colorado, USA.
  • Shomron, B. (June 2025). The media representations of women from the Ethiopian community in Israel. Presented at the 75th International Communication Association (ICA) conference “Disrupting and Consolidating Communication Research”. Denver, Colorado, USA.
  • Zilberstein, T. & Shomron, B. (April 2025). The depiction of people with Schizophrenia in news media: A cross-national analysis. Presented at the 27th Israeli Communication Association Annual Conference (ISCA). Haifa University, Israel.
  • Shomron, B. (April 2025). The media representations of women from the Ethiopian community in Israel. Presented at the 27th Israeli Communication Association Annual Conference (ISCA). Haifa University, Israel.
  • Shomron, B. (April 2025). Cherished in war: the media representations of the Ethiopian community in Israel. Presented at the 27th Israeli Communication Association Annual Conference (ISCA). Haifa University, Israel.

Recent courses

  • Transforming into a Digital Society (Winter Semester 2025/26)
  • Between Conflict and Consensus: The Politics of Modern Israel (Winter Semester 2025/26).
  • Understanding Digital Societies (Winter Semester 2025/26)
  • The Israeli Society: Past, Present, and Future (Summer Semester 2025)
  • Marginalized Populations and Media Challenges in Israel (Summer Semester 2025)