The Media Line
U.S.-based nonprofit, pro-Israel orientation in Middle East coverage
Background
The Media Line was founded in 2000 by Felice Friedson, who had previously run a Florida radio program covering Israel and the broader Middle East. It is registered as a nonprofit (Media Line Ltd.) in New York and maintains bureaus in Jerusalem and Ramallah, with correspondents across more than a dozen countries including Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and Yemen. The agency distributes content in print, radio, television, and online formats, and its reports are syndicated by outlets including the Jerusalem Post. In 2005, Friedson launched the Mideast Press Club under The Media Line's umbrella, which brought together more than 200 Israeli and Palestinian journalists and arranged first-of-their-kind exchanges between the two groups. The outlet describes itself as nonpartisan and says it declines funding from advocacy groups, but critics and media analysts have noted that its framing and story selection tend to reflect a perspective sympathetic to Israel. Friedson has been jointly nominated for the Charles Bronfman Prize alongside Palestinian colleagues, which its supporters cite as evidence of genuine bridge-building. ProPublica's nonprofit data shows the organization operating at a deficit in recent years, underscoring its reliance on foundation support and individual donors.
Sources
- The Media Line – Wikipedia
- Our Vision – The Media Line
- Felice Friedson bio – The Media Line
- Media Line Ltd – Nonprofit Explorer, ProPublica
- Media Line Ltd – Charity Navigator
- The Media Line – SourceWatch
- Felice Friedson: Getting unbiased Middle Eastern news – The CJN
- Mideast Press Club – The Media Line
Profile compiled 2026-09-06; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.