Egyptian media — who’s lying to whom?
The remarkable transformation of the media in Egypt over the past three years provides scholars an ideal opportunity to study issues of press freedom and political activism, and how this all fits into a constitutional state. The polarization in the country stemming from the overthrow of President Hosni Mubaraks regime, the rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood and the current control of the country by a military council is currently reflected in the countrys media. Many Egyptian citizens felt betrayed when several journalists, who had defended Mubarak while he was in power, suddenly denounced him, and even declared themselves part of the revolution. Many on the streets labeled these journalists hypocrites. There was heavy criticism of the Egyptian media, particularly government-owned newspapers and broadcasters. Some journalists were slammed for promoting the counterrevolution, and others were called felool, a term used to describe supporters of the Mubarak regime. Safwat Al-Alem, a professor in the media department at Cairo University, argues that journalists have created chaos in the press by swaying with public opinion. It is completely normal for journalists to modify their perspectives from time to time. However, the sudden and extreme jump from one opinion to another over a short period is hard to accept and understand, and is quite dangerous. This shows that Egyptians need an open and free media, with properly qualified professionals, to create a modicum of objectivity, fairness and balance. There is a need to make a clear distinction between journalism and political activism. There is currently a blurring of the lines between these two activities. It is very difficult to have a real democracy without a free and fair press, independent from government. In the relative openness that followed Mubaraks ouster, businesspeople launched television channels to push their own agendas. The television industry is not an outstanding money making sector, but this drawback is offset by other financial and political benefits. Journalist Tareq Nour says these privately owned channels are highly sensationalist and simply aimed at defending and promoting certain businessmen, politicians and interest groups. There was also a great deal of confusion in the print media, including previously influential national newspapers. These papers soon came to the defense of the military council after Mubarak. The Muslim Brotherhood had replaced key figures at these papers transforming them into pro-Brotherhood outlets. The organization deprived these papers of their independence by hiring editors in chief. The Muslim Brotherhood-backed 2012 constitution, also gave the Shoura Council sweeping hiring and firing powers at media houses. The new constitution, however, raises hope of a robust and independent Egyptian media industry. It recommends establishing two independent bodies, a High Council for Media, responsible for maintaining media ethics and setting standards, and a National Press Commission, responsible for managing and developing press institutions. Egypt has some of the Arab worlds oldest media institutions, which have inspired many journalism schools in the region. Many influential Arabic journalists were trained in Egypt. The countrys media still has the responsibility of playing a leading role in the Arab world. Egyptians have inspired the world with two successive revolutions and are not only developing their country but also the Arab region as a whole. This responsibility requires journalists to rise up and meet the aspirations of the people. The increasingly media savvy Egyptian populace will eventually expose those who have set agendas or use the media for personal gain. Journalists should not forget that the revolution continues. The mushrooming of social networks, including YouTube, Google and others, will serve as a collective memory for those who are forgetful and want to compare past and present views. Journalists will ultimately be held accountable for their actions, in immediate trials conducted by individuals connected to the Internet.
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Egyptian media — who’s lying to whom?