SHARON TZUR
FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sharon Tzur is Founder and Executive Director of Media Watch International (MWI) and the moving force behind Caravan for Democracy.
With Sharon Tzur at the helm, Media Watch International – an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to presenting a positive image of Israel and promoting accurate and impartial media coverage of the Middle East conflict – oversaw the runaway success of Honestreporting.com, until it reached over 50,000 activists and became an independent organization.
In 2008, in the wake of the British academic boycott of Israel, Sharon Tzur created, the Faculty Fellowship Summer Institute in Israel, an academic fellowship which brings college faculty members on an educational two week program to Israel. The institute brings together Israeli faculty with their internationally renowned counterparts. The Faculty Fellowship facilitated the exchange of thoughts and research, and created a better understanding of cultures and religions to bring back to the fellows’ respective campuses.
Caravan for Democracy, a Media Watch International initiative, was launched in March 2002 in partnership with the Jewish National Fund to promote Israel’s honest and accurate message on campuses. To date, Caravan for Democracy has brought high profile Israeli speakers to hundreds of American universities.
Not only has Sharon Tzur become the icon for national media outlets like Fox News and CNN, who seek her counsel in securing articulate Israeli voices – she herself has appeared on these networks and has been featured in articles in the US and Israel. She travels as a speaker from Montreal to Miami. Jewsweek rated Sharon Tzur among the 50 most influential Jews in America.
The Canadian-born, Israeli-raised Sharon Tzur completed her military service in the Israeli Air Force. Following a stint as assistant to MK and former Tel Aviv Mayor Roni Milo, Tzur became the Director of Betar USA, a Zionist Youth Movement.
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LAURA B. NEWMARK
MANAGER OF PROGRAMS
Laura B. Newmark is Manager of Programs
for Media Watch International. A native of Cincinnati, OH,
Ms. Newmark has been active in media and politics since high
school. A 1998 graduate of Barnard College with a degree in
Urban Studies and English, Ms. Newmark has worked extensively
in the convergence of media and social justice from the Soros
Documentary Fund to UNITE's Behindthelabel.org to Lichtenstein
Creative Media to her present position at Media Watch International.
In Ms. Newmark's spare time, she serves
as the Co-Chair of the Young Leaders group of the Hebrew Immigrant
Aid Society.
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LENNY BEN-DAVID
RESEARCH & WRITING
Lenny Ben-David is a consultant and
writer for Media Watch International.
From August 1997 until August 2000,
Ben-David served as Israel's Deputy Chief of Mission (number
two diplomat) in Washington after being appointed by Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As Deputy Chief of Mission, his
duties included contact with the U.S. Executive offices of
the White House, State Department and Defense Department,
as well as the Legislative branch. Ben-David also held senior
posts in the American Israel Public Affairs Committee for
25 years, in both Washington and Israel.
Ben-David is a graduate of Yeshiva University
in New York. He received his Masters degree in Political Science
from the American University in Washington.
Ben-David's analyses and columns have
appeared in numerous American and Israeli newspapers as well
as in the American Jewish press. He has appeared in television
interview shows, including CNN News, PBS' News Hour,
Fox News, and CNN's Burden of Proof.
Lenny Ben-David was born in Washington
D.C. and is married to Rochelle Black of Washington.
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RONN TOROSSIAN
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
Ronn Torossian is the communications
and marketing consultant for Media Watch International.
A native New Yorker, Ronn Torossian
is President and CEO 5W Public Relations, a pr firm he founded
in the spring of 2003. He held senior managerial positions
with a number of New York's top PR agencies, prior to forming
5W Public Relations.
Client experience includes extensive
work with Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies and
media outlets. He has directed major Public Relations programs
for Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group, Clinique, Fox News
Channel, Yankelovich Partners, Marriott Hotels, Tzell Travel,
the Government of Israel, and a wide variety of others.
With extensive communications experience
in Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Crisis Communications,
Torossian has been quoted extensively by the media, including
by CNN, Fox News Channel, ABC, NBC, The New York Times, The
Washington Post and others.
A board member of numerous nonprofit
organizations, Torossian resides on the Upper West Side of
Manhattan.
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GHOST WRITER
Our ghost writer, a native of New
York City, currently resides in Israel. |
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