I am a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Communication and Journalism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In my dissertation project I aim to develop a comprehensive conceptualization of (dis)trust in the current media ecology. To this end, I seek to account for multiple news trustworthiness dimensions, as well as the trust attitudes of various actors who participate in the creation and interpretation of the news.

I hold a Master’s degree in communication, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communication, both from the Hebrew University. My MA thesis, written under the guidance of Prof. Keren Tenenboim-Weinblatt, explored the various aspects of suspicion and distrust in the perceptions of journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 

Research Interests

Trust and distrust

Journalistic production

News audiences

Social media

 

Selected Publications

Aharoni, T., Tenenboim-Weinblatt, K., Baden, C, and Overbeck M. (2020). Dynamics of (Dis)trust Between the News Media and Their Audience: The Case of the April 2019 Israeli Exit Polls. Journalism. doi: 10.117.

Aharoni, T., Kligler-Vilenchik, N, and Tenenboim-Weinblatt, K. (2020). “Be Less of a Slave to the News”: A Texto-Material Perspective on News Avoidance among Young Adults. Journalism studies. doi: 10.1080/1461670X.2020.1852885.

Aharoni, T. (2019). When High and Pop Culture (Re)Mix: An Inquiry into the Memetic Transformations of Artwork. New Media & Society. doi.org/10.1177/1461444819845917.

Aharoni, T., and Tenenboim-Weinblatt, K. (2019). Unpacking Journalists’ (Dis)Trust: Expressions of Suspicion in the Narratives of Journalists Covering the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. International Journal of Press/ Politics. doi.org/10.1177/1940161219841902.

 

Awards and Prizes

2020-2024: The President’s Scholarship for Outstanding PhD Students, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

2020: Most Engaging Visuals Video award, Association of Internet Researchers (AOIR) (With Eedan Amit-Danhi)

2017-2020: Honored for excellence in teaching, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

2018: Rector’s Award for outstanding excellence, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

2018: Top Student Paper award, Visual Communication Division, International Communication Association (ICA)

2018: Scholarship for M.A. thesis research, The Walter-Lebach Institute for Jewish-Arab Coexistence through Education, Faculty of social-sciences, Tel-Aviv University.

2016-2019: Dean’s award for outstanding excellence, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem