Ultra-Orthodox journalists are increasingly dominating Twitter. What started as a marginal phenomenon has become over the past year a broad one, with growth in the number of ultra-Orthodox tweeters and the number of followers among the general public. The influence of ultra-Orthodox journalists on general discourse on the popular social media platform has also grown. The phenomenon is especially prominent in the current election cycle, in the course of which ultra-Orthodox journalists and politicians have been updating, and sometimes breaking, news from the sector, but also from outside it.
Aryeh Ehrlich, editor at Mishpacha newspaper, is one of the pioneering ultra-Orthodox journalists on Twitter. He set up his account in February 2013 and has amassed more than 29,000 followers. “When I opened my [Twitter] account I was one of the first ultra-Orthodox journalists on this medium,” he told Al-Monitor. “In the beginning there were quite a few tweeters who asked me if it’s acceptable in the ultra-Orthodox community [to be on Twitter]. Today there’s nothing more natural. The deputy mayor of Jerusalem — ultra-Orthodox Yossi Daitsh — has an active Twitter account. Chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party Aryeh Deri is also an active Twitter user.”
