Free Speech

Filling the Information Gap

In the early days of the war that started on 07.10.2023, many Israelis experienced a sharp “information gap”: intense uncertainty paired with limited, partial, or delayed reporting through traditional channels. This vacuum accelerated a shift toward Telegram as a breaking-news tool: fast, direct, and often unfiltered. The research argues that this shift is not just a change in platform preference, but a democratic stress test: when citizens prioritize immediacy over verification, the public sphere becomes more vulnerable to manipulation, polarization, and erosion of trust. In the research, Orpaz investigates Telegram’s wartime role Telegram analytics, Content analysis & a survey.

Note: The survey focuses on the Israeli Jewish population, given online-panel representation constraints for non-Jewish populations.

Core insights:

1) Telegram fills a real information need in crises.
The platform’s channel-based structure and constant flow of updates meet a basic human demand for real-time information—especially when people feel that official or mainstream sources are slow, filtered, or incomplete.

2) The “reliability vs. usage” paradox is a central democratic challenge.
Survey findings show a persistent gap between what people consider credible and what they actually use most. Traditional platforms such as radio and television are perceived as more reliable, yet are not necessarily the most frequently accessed for urgent updates—while social platforms are accessed far more frequently despite lower trust ratings. This tension highlights how convenience and speed can override credibility in moments of stress.

3) Platform design shapes the information environment.
Telegram’s architecture—channels, forwards, anonymity of administrators, and in some cases comment arenas—affects what spreads and why. The report details how the absence of consistent editorial standards and transparency can enable unverified content and rumors to circulate at scale.

4) Exposure can affect public resilience and anxiety.
The research links Telegram’s unfiltered nature to potential impacts on emotional strain and societal resilience, especially when graphic or manipulative content circulates quickly and widely.

5) Trust and transparency are contested—yet widely recognized as issues.
Respondents express concern about misinformation and anonymity: for example, majorities agree there is a lot of fake news on Telegram, and a substantial share report discomfort with not knowing who runs the channels they follow.

Implications for liberal democracies

The study frames Israel’s “Telegram moment” as a case study with broader relevance: when decentralized platforms become central to crisis communication, democracies must navigate a difficult balance between speed and reliability, security and openness, and censorship and trust.

Recommendations:

The paper concludes with actionable steps for policymakers, civil society, media organizations, and platforms, centered on strengthening democratic resilience without defaulting to heavy-handed control:

• Improve public digital and media literacy to reduce vulnerability to rumors, manipulation, and harmful content.
• Use Telegram proactively for verified emergency communication by establishing and tailoring official channels to the platform’s formats and habits.
• Promote transparency and professionalism among major channels, including training and disclosure norms to strengthen accountability.
• Foster multi-stakeholder collaboration to rebuild trust and improve information integrity during high-stakes events.
• Facilitate a public discussion on censorship in the digital age, acknowledging that bypass dynamics can undermine trust if institutions fail to adapt.