A return to (long)form
I took a break from my personal newsletter for a while. I intend to return and provide an honest voice to the news coming out of Israel and the media space more generally.
You may remember me
If you’re reading this it may be because you used to get a newsletter from me where I shared news, updates, and recommendations. Some of them were good, others were less so. It was retired in 2020 and I have decided to bring it back for a new audience.
Why this, why now
It’s no secret that traditional media is suffering a crisis in faith from its audiences. Outlets that lean left and right cannot be trusted to relay the world’s stories without bias or slant.
We saw it with the pandemic; we saw it with the election; and we are seeing it in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
I have long believed that the rise of independent journalists will combat this institutional problem. While independent writers may sometimes contribute to false or misleading content, I maintain that the best way to challenge that is to be in the fight - not to watch it from the sidelines.
What will The Spiro Circle offer me?
You probably think you don’t need another newsletter. And you might be right. Just be thankful this isn’t another podcast (yet). For now, I can promise The Spiro Circle will offer you an honest, accurate, and ongoing idea of what it is like to live in Israel during unprecedented times of regional conflict and during the global harassment of Jews on college campuses and around the world.
It will also offer occasional interviews with those in the industry who can shed insight into the comings and goings of the country.
I’ve lived in Israel for 7 years and in that time I have worked as a tech journalist reporting on the country’s famous Startup Nation sector. My reporting has included how Israel reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic, the myriad of national elections, the tech boom of 2021/2022, and now the ongoing war with Hamas. I have interviewed more than 500 CEOs and founders and represented Israel at conferences in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Ok, but actually?
I can promise you the following things:
A weekly newsletter with current news coming out of Israel, or international news and how it relates to Israel
Highlights of personal work in the form of written content or video interviews
Recommendations of books, podcasts, and television that I’ve consumed recently
Answers to any questions you may have about me, my work, or the region
For now, please be patient
Writing is my main craft - please be patient while I continue to build The Spiro Circle. Over the coming weeks, you’ll see more images, links, and a general improvement. Thank you in advance for sticking around while this gets better. If you have any feedback in these early days it will be greatly appreciated.
In the meantime, please feel free to catch up on past work
Lights, camera, AI: Caledo is here to turn news writers into TV stars
From Gaza to CES: When Israel's tech sector balances both worlds
Holocaust survivors ask: ‘Did we not learn from Kristallnacht?’
Don’t forget to like and subscribe
Subscribers are please invited to share this newsletter; or those who haven’t yet are invited to join the mailing list. It would really mean a lot in these early days.
Thanks,
James