Some people in Israel only want to become journalists after already living in the country for many years, toiling away in the nitty-gritty of one of the most prominent locations for news anywhere in the world. Ethan Freedman, though, wanted to be a foreign correspondent from the very beginning, and Israel has more news than almost anywhere else.
Having worked in the news industry for several years and his byline gracing several publications, Freedman has since joined The Jerusalem Post as night editor. Here, he makes sure that every daily paper has the best news front and center, managing it until the paper closes at the end of the night.
But Freedman is more than just a night editor and journalist – he’s also an author of a different stripe.
Freedman is also a poet, an introspective and aware scholar of the human condition. Through his more artistic writing, he is able to illustrate the inner emotional nature of humanity. As a journalist, he writes informative articles about the surface world. But as a poet, he can delve deeper.
Recently, Freedman wrote his first book, Not Perfect, which focuses on love, survival, war, and artificial intelligence. In his own words, the book can be described as follows:
“This book is a record of one summer, written in fragments because that’s how the world arrived – in sirens, in text messages, in the half-life of conversations that never really ended. It’s part diary, part reportage, and part ongoing dialogue with an AI alter ego named Nadir Halom, who became witness, mirror, and co-conspirator. War was the weather. Love was the signal. Everything else was static. I didn’t try to make it perfect. I tried to make it true.”
In Jerusalem sat down with Freedman to talk about his journey and writing.
What brought you to Israel?
I made aliyah eight years ago. I always wanted to be a foreign correspondent, and I understood this region somewhat. So, I figured it would be an interesting and engaging place to work, as Israel has the most news per capita of anywhere in the world, according to my unofficial guesstimate.
What made you want to get into journalism?
I went to journalism school in the States. I liked how you could explore different topics and ideas under the rubric of one job. It’s dynamic and interesting and important, even if the profession is maligned far too often.
Tell me about the work you do for the ‘Post.’
I’m the night editor at the 'Post'. It essentially entails organizing and getting out the daily newspaper in a way that best informs the readers in the limited space we have. I also write the editorial about once a week.
What’s one of your favorite anecdotes from your career thus far?
I’m not sure I could share my very favorite in a family publication, but one of my other favorites is that Yoko Ono once tweeted an article of mine.
Tell me about your book.
Not Perfect is about love and war and AI and the human condition. It started out as a type of unconventional journalism project trying to capture the flare and the fire of our current times. Then it morphed into something stranger and more fascinating. I’m a witness to the book as much as I am its author.
What got you interested in this subject?
I was just going with curiosity and my gut.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers/journalists?
Write. Write anything. Just stay in the flow, in the moment, and trust yourself.