Dan Caspi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Caspi
|
|
|---|---|
Professor Caspi
|
|
| Born | 1 January 1945 Săveni, Romania
|
| Died | 22 January 2017 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | University lecturer |
Dan Caspi (born December 1, 1945 – died January 22, 2017) was a university professor in Israel. He taught about communication at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba.
Throughout his life, Dan Caspi did both research and public work. He wrote many articles for newspapers and online news sites. He had regular columns in local papers and online journals like Haayin Hashviit ("The Seventh Eye"). He also wrote for ynet and had a blog for Ha'aretz.
Contents
Who Was Dan Caspi?
Dan Caspi was born in Săveni, a town in Romania. His family later moved to nearby Dorohoi. When he was young, he had cerebral palsy, which affected his movement. Even so, he went to regular schools in Romania.
In 1960, when he was 14, his family moved to Israel. They settled in Beersheba, where he finished high school.
His University Journey
In the mid-1960s, Dan Caspi started studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He focused on political science and sociology. Later, he continued with graduate studies in political science and communication.
His PhD looked at how politicians in the Knesset (Israel's parliament) thought the public felt, compared to what people actually thought. After getting his degree in 1976, he spent a year studying at MIT in the United States. He also worked at other universities around the world.
In the mid-1980s, Caspi joined the Open University of Israel. There, he helped create a program for studying communication. He wrote and edited many textbooks that are still used in Israeli universities today.
In 2000, he returned to Beersheba. He helped start the Department of Communication Studies at Ben-Gurion University. He led this department until 2009.
Dan Caspi was married and had a daughter and four grandchildren. He passed away on January 22, 2017.
Important Roles and Activities
Dan Caspi held many important jobs and roles in both academic and public life:
- He was a member of the Academic Council at Hadassah College Jerusalem.
- He led the Department of Communication Studies at Ben-Gurion University (2004–2009).
- He was a judge for the Nahum Sokolov Prize, which honors journalism.
- He was on the board of the Israel Broadcasting Authority (2000–2003).
- He helped start and was the first president of the Israel Communications Association (1996–1999).
- He advised the Israel Ministry of Education on teaching about mass media.
- He founded and edited an Israeli journal about political science called Medina, Mimshal Veyahasim Beinleumiim.
What He Studied and Wrote About
Dan Caspi was an expert in many areas related to media and communication. He studied:
- How mass media works.
- The connection between media and politics.
- Public opinion and propaganda (ways to influence people's thoughts).
- Media organizations.
- Local newspapers and media for minority groups.
- Rules for media (media regulation).
- How media is used in election campaigns.
He wrote over 20 books and many academic articles in Hebrew, English, and Russian. He even wrote a children's book called Aba shel Inbal ("Inbal’s Father").
Some of His Books
- Beyond the Mirror: The Media Map in Israel. (2012)
- Agenda: Media, Society, Politics. (2011)
- With Mustafa Kabha, The Palestinian Arab In / Outsiders: Media and Conflict in Israel. (2011)
- With Hanna Adoni and Akiba A. Cohen, Media, Minorities, and Hybrid Identities: The Arab and Russian Communities in Israel. (2006)
- Due to Technical Difficulties: The Fall of the Israeli Broadcasting Authority. (2005)
- With Yehiel Limor, The In/Outsiders: The Mass Media in Israel. (1999)
- Media Decentralization: The Case of Israel’s Local Newspapers. (1986)
Important Articles He Wrote
- A Revised Look at Online Journalism in Israel: Entrenching the Old Hegemony. (2011)
- With Nelly Elias, Don't patronize me: media-by and media-for minorities. (2010)
- On Media and Politics: Between Enlightened Authority and Social Responsibility. (2005)
- With Hanna Adoni, Akiba A. Cohen and Nelly Elias, The Red and the White and the Blue: the Russian Media in Israel. (2002)
Textbooks He Helped Create
- Pictures in our Heads: Public Opinion and Democracy. (2001)
- With Yehiel Limor, Mass Communication: An Introduction. (1993–1996)
- Mass Media and Politics. Government and Politics in Israel, Unit 10. (1990)
Editing Projects
Dan Caspi also edited several important books and collections of articles:
- With Nelly Elias, Ethnic Minorities and Media in the Holy Land. (2014)
- With Tal Samuel-Azran, New Media and Innovative Technologies. (2008)
- Communication and Politics in Israel. (2007)
- With Yehiel Limor, Mass Media in Israel. (1998)
- Communications and Democracy in Israel. (1997)
His Activism
Dan Caspi was a strong voice against large media companies in Israel that were owned by single families. He often warned about the close ties between money, newspapers, and the government. He was especially concerned about the growing power of "media barons" who controlled these big companies.
In the early 1990s, he wrote articles criticizing how these companies owned many different TV channels and newspapers. He believed this gave them too much control over information. He also spoke out about other important social issues.
Images for kids
-
Professor Caspi
