Bridge: Can you give us a snapshot of the media in Israel?

Meir Orbach: The political media is concentrated in the capital city of Jerusalem, while the financial media is based in the heart of Israel's business, commerce and high-tech industry in Tel Aviv.

Israel has four major Hebrew-language newspapers (most have an English online edition), an ultra-Orthodox Jewish paper, two Russian-language dailies and two major business and finance publications. Foreign language papers are small but their online versions have turned a few into major players on the international news scene. Often the most important papers for Israelis are the local papers and it is common for each of the major cities to have up to five dailies.

Israel has three main television broadcasters plus a Russian-language cable station. New media certainly poses a threat to television and this has been clearly felt in the industry. Israel has the world's highest penetration of broadband with over 80 percent of households connected to the internet, and it is one of the most important ways for Israelis to get the news.

International media has little penetration with the Hebrew-speaking Israeli population, however in times of war, terror attacks and the like, people do look at CNN or the BBC to understand what the outside world is saying about Israel.

Bridge: What one piece of advice would you give to an American company wanting to develop a program in Israel to build their corporate reputation?

MO: Think like an Israeli or, better yet, enlist the help of Israelis. The finesse and politeness of the North American mentality doesn't work in Israel; rough, ready directness and boldness characterize Israeli society. To succeed, a company must tailor itself to these traits; although in saying that there are distinct subtleties and etiquettes in the culture which require the guidance of a local sherpa. To achieve ultimate success an American company should ensure that an Israeli is involved from the beginning.

Bridge: Compared to New York, how expensive is it to hire a PR agency in Tel Aviv?

MO: It would be nice to be able to charge U.S. prices but … the average monthly retainer at an Israeli PR agency for domestic Israeli public relations is about $4,000. Monthly retainers range from $2,000 for a new start-up company to over $15,000 for a larger well-established company.