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Useful idiots of stakeholders: Is the media to blame for the rise in prices?

In recent days, we have dealt quite a bit, here at Walla as well, with the expected wave of price increases.

Were we actually a server tool that operated in the service of stakeholders, with the aim of improving their profits at the expense of the public?

opinion

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• Shestovich

• Savings plan

• News 12

Nir Kipnis

Wednesday, 10 November 2021, 13:40 Updated: 13:46

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The wave of price hikes, which has been a background buzz for months, has become dramatic following a tweet by Victory CEO Eyal Ravid last weekend, according to which we are in a "tsunami" evening, as he puts it, of price hikes

In recent days, we have dealt quite a bit, here at Walla, with the expected wave of price increases. Were we actually a server tool that operated in the service of stakeholders, with the aim of improving their profits at the expense of the public?

Since this is a heavy accusation, it requires a serious clarification of the facts.

Two speakers represent this approach: Rami Levy, the controlling owner of the Rami Levy supermarket chain, and MK Yaakov Margi of Shas, who slammed the news in News 12, Maayan Prati, during a discussion in the Knesset's Economics Committee.

Things were aimed at Perthi, but since there is no media in Israel that has not dealt with the issue at length, we must ask whether we were wrong - and if so, where?

The circumstantial evidence, you will be surprised, actually supports the thesis that "the media is to blame": The wave of talk about price increases, which was like a background buzz for months, became dramatic following a tweet by Victory CEO Eyal Ravid last weekend, according to which we are in a "tsunami" evening ,Of price increases.

Ravid's tweet gave the signal for articles that dealt with the subject, praising the rise in raw material prices and the rise in transportation rates as an objective factor in the expected increases.

Ravid is now being questioned by the Competition Authority on suspicion that his public statements were intended to serve the price increase, the one that allegedly "warned" against it.

More on Walla!

After 23 years, Gil Tamari returns to Israel: "We have not deteriorated to a situation that the United States has reached.

We were on our way there "

To the full article

(Photo: Screenshot, Screenshot)

Pratty's weird note

No one writes in an internal working paper the phrase "sharp rises".

This does not mean that the publication was wrong, but it does mean that maybe someone tried to direct the desired conclusion to him

The second move that sparked the debate was Prati's exposure in News 12 about Shastovich's intention to raise prices. Prati published a note that at first glance seemed strange and included, in addition to the expected price increases, also headlines (already in the original document) about "sharp rises". No one writes these pair of words in an internal working paper. This does not mean that the publication was wrong, but it does mean that maybe someone tried to direct the desired conclusion to him.

The rest of the story is in Shestovich's announcement that the expected average price increase will be only 5.5%. Is this a consequence of the public pressure created (also on my part, as the editor of the relevant section in Walla!)? Or was that the goal in the first place?

Here comes into play an element that will make any media person move, uncomfortably on the chair: we all know that frontal entry in a large advertiser could create internal unrest in the system - whereas this time all media seemed to lose control on their way to trample on importers, retailers and manufacturers. No commercial interest in restricting them.

Victory of the public right to know about the revenue from advertising, or maybe it was all part of a move that is also shared by the owners of the media channels?

A consequence of public pressure?

Yoni Shastovich (Photo: Walla !, Ronit Matias)

Divert the fire from the real culprits

Does anyone believe that in an age where even the private communication between two people, in the end - leaks to the public, is it possible?

Then, just before I was about to write a letter of resignation, I was reminded of what all this conspiracy theory entails: all the big importers, all the big manufacturers, all the big retailers and all the different media channels, banded together to initiate a move that would enrich the various products on supermarket shelves. Does anyone believe that in an age where even private communication between two people, eventually - leaks to the public, is it possible?

If I had to draft a statement of defense for the media, it would be his overture. This does not mean that all the publications were accurate, it does not mean that some of them were not of interest (in the end most of the news in the media, in general of course, are dependent on interests), but the thought that such a media wave can rise as a result Excessive, not to mention unfounded.

The Competition Authority's investigation into using (allegedly of course) manufacturers, importers and retailers in the media to bring about price increases forces us to look inward better, to criticize and examine in depth the interest that may lie behind any knowledge we bring to the public.

At the same time, it seems that the apostle's accusation of the cost of living, especially when it comes from a regulator who failed to centralize the food industry and protective caps (for example), is meant to divert fire from real culprits: those chosen by us and instead do, prefer to shout in committees.

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