Award-winning storyteller and documentary producer to advocate for positive portrayals of Jews in the media
New York, NY, February 21, 2024 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) named distinguished journalist and award-winning documentary producer Deborah Camiel as director of its Media & Entertainment Institute. Launched in September 2023, the Institute engages with industry leaders to improve societal perceptions of Jews and understanding of antisemitism.
An award-winning storyteller with an extensive background in broadcast, print and digital media, Camiel’s journalism career spans around the globe, including 10 years in the documentary unit at CNBC and six years with CBS News. She spent much of her career working internationally, often in conflict zones and amid humanitarian crises.
“Deborah brings insights as a storyteller and a journalist to ADL as we’re working to change hearts and minds in the fight against antisemitism and all forms of hate,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Her leadership will be essential, especially as we seek to engage the industry around issues of antisemitism and the portrayal of Jews in movies, television and popular culture.”
As head of the ADL Media & Entertainment Institute, based in Los Angeles, Camiel will work directly with industry leaders and partner organizations to advocate for content that illustrates the full diversity of Jewish life and more nuanced, less stereotypical, Jewish characters. The institute will also lead efforts to analyze bias in news media about Jewish people, antisemitism and Israel and promote more well-rounded, accurate coverage within journalism. The Institute supports the White House’s U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, which explicitly calls on the entertainment industry to play a larger role in combating antisemitism and promoting diverse depictions of Jews.
“At a time when antisemitism has reached historic levels, I’m honored to be leading this new institute at ADL,” said Camiel. “There’s no more significant moment for the media industry and Hollywood to appreciate the need for realistic, accurate and human portrayals of Jews and Judaism.”
Camiel spent 10 years at the documentary unit at CNBC and has producer credits on numerous television documentaries. Her feature-length documentary film, “(Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies” premiered in theaters in 2015.
Prior to her tenure at CNBC, Camiel served six years at CBS News – first leading the network’s editorial team in Israel, and next at CBS Evening News in New York – and seven years as a print correspondent and television producer at Reuters. Most recently, she served as vice president of communications at 50+1 Strategies, a prominent California-based advocacy consulting firm.
A graduate of Stanford University, Camiel is a Fulbright Scholar, a Hoover Institution Media Fellow and a Stanford Humanities Fellow. She is a member of the Overseas Press Club and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Camiel will be moderating two panels about media and entertainment at ADL’s Never Is Now Summit, March 6-7 at the Javits Center in New York City. The Power of Diverse Jewish Stories on Screen to Combat Antisemitism will focus on Jewish portrayals and storytelling in film and television. Nina Tassler, Ben Cosgrove, and Ginnifer Goodwin will join this discussion. The Fog of War Reporting: Journalists Examine Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War will bring together noted journalists for a discussion about anti-Israel bias and misinformation in news media and focus on ways news organizations can do a better job of providing balanced reporting.
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all. More at www.adl.org.