Thinking out loud; discussing and debating the current issues and challenges affecting the Torah and yeshiva communities such as population growth, dangers of technology, parnassah, shidduchim, financial support of Torah and Chesed institutions, news of the yeshiva world and reviewing frum blogs,Torah media outlets.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Not the online voice of Torah Jewry
Some may have wondered what is going on over at Matzav.com. The website that calls itself "The online voice of Torah Jewry". Recent articles and content published would not fall under the category of Torah Jewry. Feeling competition from other news sites that post anything to get hits such as Simchaspot and Onlysimchas, the editors have lowered the bar and its decline is obvious. Pictures of women now appear daily, they never published them previously, in fact a news article about Condoleezza Rice former Secretary of state had a photo of rice as in the food that we eat. Following the Superbowl there was a article of the top Superbowl ads and another nonsense article about OJ Simpson and other sports related or tabloid front page news. In an earlier post here we addressed the double standard in the frum media, still there should be standards online too.
The decline of Matzav is tied in hand-in-hand with the decline of the Yated. The decline of the Yated is completely tied in with the decline of the Philly branch of the Kaminetzkies.
ReplyDeleteOver recent years, Pinny has taken up position on several topics which were kn'eged halacha, but were the position of his other rebbe.
What must be said is, that the Yated was clearly heads-and-shoulders above all other Jewish media, including the Hamodia. When the Yated was following the right path, the Hamodia couldn't step anywhere near them. The Hamodia is a business, whose goal is get as many subscribers as possible -without further hurting the reputation of it's owner, Rav Yankel Alter of Gur. (The current Gerrer Rebbe - cousin of the future Gerrer Rabbe.)
At this point, it should be mentioned that the fact Yerusholayim lost having a Frum mayor, was all the single-handed work of Rav Yankel Shelita.
They are the "online voice of Torah Jewry," as much as Hamodia is the "newspaper of Torah Jewry."
ReplyDeleteMatzav has definitely changed in another way as well.
ReplyDeleteIn the past they didn't have much, if any, Lubavitch news. More recently however, they are publishing more Lubavitch things. Maybe some Lubavitchers work for them and are putting that stuff in? It is definitely a change though. If we wanted Lubavitch propaganda we could go to their sites. Why bring it to Matzav? Do Lubavitch sites publish Yeshivish news?
Today Matzav posted a story about Elliott Spitzer unbecoming for a Torah website. Shame.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Deleteand now a breaking story how coke is trying to become sexy again.
ReplyDeletehttp://matzav.com/for-coke-a-big-advantage-pours-out-of-smaller-bottles/
they must read your site. they erased sexy and replaced it with attractive.
ReplyDelete