The Israel Media Response Project is a program to engage Jewish college students in the Tampa Bay area in a competition to address anti-Israel bias in the local media. Students will closely follow the media (print, radio, television and/or internet) in the Tampa Bay area for coverage of stories from or about Israel. Students participants will be expected to respond via letters to the editors, email comments to television and radio stations or online posts via the internet to correct misinformation, report anti-Israel bias or create a more balanced, even-handed report of events from Israel. Students must register for the competition by the beginning of classes on their respective campuses each semester. Participants in the competition must be full-time students, registered at a Tampa Bay College or University.

Students will be expected to keep records of reports in the media as well as the response which they put forward. At the end of each semester, all materials will be submitted to a jury (individuals to be determined), funders, and others selected by the funding committee to be judged. Each semester, three students will be selected to receive first, second and third prizes for the work which they have done during that semester to counter anti-Israel reports in the media, and on how well they have presented an accurate picture of Israel to the Tampa Bay Area.

Prizes:

• The first prize winner will receive a cash award of $750
• The second prize winner will receive a cash award of $500
• The third prize winner will receive a cash award of $250

Program:

1. Students who want to participate in the program will need to register with the Hillels of the Florida Suncoast.
2. Students will send copies via email to a Hillels of the Florida Suncoast representative the original article and their respective rebuttals to be submitted in the contest.
3. Hillels of the Florida Suncoast will forward on a weekly basis articles submitted in item 2 above to a jury, funders, and others (individuals to be determined) selected by the funding committee to be judged.
4. At the end of each semester the jury will provide the names of the first, second and third prizes winners to Hillels of the Florida Suncoast who will then notify the students.
5. The Hillels of the Florida Suncoast will handle all administrative duties including, student registrations, marketing and publicity, receipts and disbursement, and announcement of winners. A monthly summary report will be provided to the Israel Media Response Project steering committee consisting of Morris Behar, Dr. Jeffrey Davis, Michael Shane and Dr. Eric Steckler outlining the administrative duties results.
6. All advertising and promotional material will include the following: “This program is in memory of the holocaust victims.

If you would like to make a donation to the Israel Media Response Project please make your checks payable to:

Hillels of the Florida Suncoast
c/o Israel Media Response Project
13102 N. 50th St.
Tampa, FL 33617