The journalist Rina Meslih, the former host of the show “Meet the Press”, announced today (Sun) her retirement from News 12. Meslih worked for Kol Israel at the beginning of its career, and in 1993 she joined the news company of Channel 2. In July of this year, she announced her departure from the program Bekeshet, After serving it for nine years.
In a message she published today (Sun), she wrote: “It’s time to retire… I’m retiring with a whole heart, with great sadness and concern. I’ve been a journalist for almost 40 years, close to the pager and then to text messages, WhatsApp and Twitter. In all my adult life I’ve done nothing Anything but being a journalist.”
“I am sad, very sad. It is difficult for me to leave the news company, which I was one of the founders of. Many must not remember that 30 years ago the majority of the public, including in the local industry, did not believe that there was a possibility for a commercial channel in Israel. Friends warned me that in a short time I would be unemployed, that I I am making the mistake of my life when I leave Kol Israel, where I already had a good and safe job,” she wrote.
Mishleh wrote that she broke several glass ceilings, but “that’s it, it’s time to say goodbye.” According to her, “I feel like I need a rest. I’m also, and perhaps mainly, tired of my area of coverage: politics. I’m no longer excited to come to the Knesset, and I’m not really excited to interview another minister and another member of the Knesset.”
“I was left with a severe scar”
Majleh repeats that two years ago she went through a very severe personal attack. “I thought I got over her. I wasn’t scared by the letters threatening my life, and I cleaned my cell phone of the thousands of hateful messages that were also addressed to my late beloved parents. But over time I realized that I still had a severe scar.”
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The attackers, according to her, were organized and activated by political forces. “They didn’t scare me, but something in me broke. The profession that was the love of my life was painted with the colors of pain. My passion wandered to other places.”
According to Mishleh, she is busy with a new venture. “I’m looking for an investor to establish a ‘nostalgia’ radio station, a station that will only play old songs. This will help veteran artists and also senior citizens like me, who don’t really connect to Todo Boom…”, she wrote.
Majleh pointed an accusing finger at political forces that worry her. “I have learned in recent years that there are two political camps in Israel: one that actively wants to harm the free and independent press, and the other at best ‘doesn’t deal with it’ and at worst tries to silence journalists from the opposite camp. So your profession, my dear friends, is journalism – but the mission Yours is to preserve the freedom of the press and freedom of expression,” she wrote.
Majleh adds: “The damage to the freedom of the press is not direct, but the intensification of competition often causes people to round corners, to flex professional principles, to not be precise in the rules of ethics, to be afraid of shaming on the networks, to be afraid of harming sources, all of this weakens the independence of the journalist. I believe that every journalist should grow a column for himself Sedra, because only this will guarantee him long-term success.”
“An excellent journalist in all of Iberia”
Avi Weiss, CEO of the Keshet news company, told the company’s employees: “Rina is one of the founders and pioneers of the news company, employee number 4 in the company. In March, with persistence and great talent, she became one of the pillars of Channel 2 news, which later became News 12.
“Rina is an excellent journalist in all areas of her body, and her trademark is professional integrity. Rina has never been caught lip-smacking or flattering a man or a woman. The viewers knew and know that she can be trusted to take the same degree of firmness towards each interviewee, and the same degree of empathy and compassion towards each person who has been wronged.”
According to him, “her interpretations and her piercing questions echoed in every home and every living room.” He added: “Rina, for decades you worked for the viewers, and I have no doubt that they thank you for that. You have countless rights in the news company.”