Controlling the Media in Egypt

Media Control in Egypt

The media in Egypt is much more controlled than in many other countries, including the United States. That control began with President Gamal Abdel Nasser, moved through Anwar Sadat, and then on to Hosni Mubarak. During that time, the television and newspapers were strictly controlled, and only what the president wanted people to see was placed in them. There is significant evidence that the control of the media in Egypt was done largely to oppress the people, and to make sure they were only hearing and seeing what the government wanted them to hear and see. Social, political, and economic factors are all significant in the control of the Egyptian media, which many believe should be uncontrolled and independent. That would allow it to provide actual, factual information, instead of only what the government agreed that the people were allowed to know.

Introduction

The Egyptian media is an important facet of life in that country, and worth discussing on a number of levels. It is largely controlled by the government, which can leave the Egyptian people wondering whether what they are being told is accurate, or whether it is tailored to provide them only what the government thinks they should hear (Shuman). This has led to arguments that the government is protecting them, and has also led to the opinion that the media should be open and independent, allowing the people to decide how they really feel about all of the most important issues that are facing their country today.

Additionally, there is a great deal of influence in both Egypt and the rest of the Arab world that comes through Egyptian media, as there is a very large audience (PressTV). Some government control has been recently lifted, and that has increased the number of people who want to watch and listen to Egyptian media to get unbiased information they may not be able to receive in their home countries. Despite this, there is still a high level of governmental control over the Egyptian media, most prominently by the military (PressTV).

The Controlled Media in Egypt

The media in Egypt has generally always been under the control of the government, and many journalists state that the army and the military are really the ones who have control over what the media produces and puts out to the citizens (PressTV). Control of the media has intensified during the terms of some presidents, and has been relaxed a bit under others. That is to be expected, and something that makes sense based on the different people and personalities that have ruled Egypt in the last few decades. However, the changes back and forth have sometimes made things confusing when considering how much control is being seen in the media and whether citizens should believe what they see and hear.

Because of the idea that the media is controlled, many in the country believe that the military is using the media as its mouthpiece (PressTV). By doing that, it is able to provide high levels of information about the progress of the country, but that information is only what the military wants people to know. Any setbacks or other serious issues are generally swept under the rug and avoided, because the media is either not told of them, or specifically told to suppress or "spin" them when it is providing information to the masses (PressTV). While it was generally believed that the president and those around him was the one who had control over the media, journalists who have spoken out have insisted this is not the case, and that is completely the military that holds media control (PressTV).

Historical Background

The historical background of media control in Egypt goes back a number of decades. Since 1960, when President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Egyptian press, the government has been directly involved in distributing information to the people of Egypt (Amin). The press was nationalized to bring it under government control, so that Abdel Nasser could focus on the dissemination of only the information he deemed important for the country (Amin). When the country changed hands and Anwar Sadat became president, he kept control of the press, and adopted the ideas that Abdel Nasser had used (Amin).

After Sadat came Hosni Mubarak, who decided not to make any changes to the way things were being done. He had controlling shares in the three main daily newspapers in Egypt, and also had control or at least partial control over many other media outlets, as well (Amin). The main focus was on the protection of information, so that the country and its people could be "steered" in the direction the government wanted them to go. The media control was eventually relaxed, but re-tightened after the military took control over it (Amin).

Variables: Major Factors

There are three major factors, or variables, that affected -- and, in turn, are affected by -- the media control in Egypt. In order to understand how the media control benefits the country, and how it causes more problems than benefits, all three of these issues must be addressed and discussed. Not only are they all important, they also tie together and intertwine, so it is important to analyze them all together. Only looking at one or two of the issues will not really provide the needed insight, because it would mean overlooking at least one other issue that is part of the situation. These factors are:

Social Situations -- the social issues of the day are addressed in the media in a number of ways. Most frequently, however, social issues are pushed aside for military issues, and the information presented to the public is either downplayed (if it is uncomplimentary) or played up (if it will cause the military to look stronger) (Elmasry). In this way, the socialization of the Egyptian people revolves mostly around the military, and is being steered toward seeing the military as protectors and saviors, no matter what undertaking they are involved in at the time of the media's reporting (Elmasry).

Political Situations -- political tensions in Egypt are high, and they have been high for decades (Egypt). This is not a surprise to the citizens, but the ways in which these tensions are presented and how they are (or are not) being resolved are very important considerations. In short, the government and the military, with their control over the media, can make it appear that there are more problems than are actually occurring (PressTV). Conversely, they can make it appear that there are fewer problems, and that the citizens have less to worry about than what is actually the case. Either way, the political problems of the country are not being accurately represented by the media.

Economic Situations -- the media also has a role in the economy of Egypt. People who feel safe and stable tend to spend more money than those who do not feel as though they are safe and protected. If their government (or their military) can make it appear that the country is healthy and strong, the citizens of that country are going to spend money on a higher level. That can produce revenue that will help fund the military, so it would make sense for the military to work toward making it appear as though the country is doing well and there is far less unrest and related problems than are actually occurring (Shukri). On the other side of the coin, though, it can be beneficial for citizens to think that their military needs help to protect them from danger, as it might make it more likely for them to spend money to help with that support, so they can feel safe again.

Research Questions

Every study or paper has something the author wishes to explore. In order to do that, it is best to ask questions, which can be answered through careful study. The research questions for this paper are as follows:

1. Should the Egyptian government control the media?

2. Should the citizens respond to the Egyptian government control over the media?

3. Is government control of media beneficial?

Thesis Statement

Although some people may believe that the media should be controlled, I refute this perception and believe that the media should be an independent organization, citizens have the right to know all the information precisely and accurately, the government should not be involved in relaying truthful information to the public, and the Egyptian government should not be allowed to brainwash the citizens with lies.

Literature Review

There are several issues that have to be examined when it comes to the control of the media in Egypt. Some of these issues are related specifically to Egypt and its media problems. Other issues are more general, and they are related to the media, overall, and how it is valued in society. The way in which the media is used can vary from country to country, and there are both good and bad points to manipulating the media. However, the way this is being done in Egypt stops the media from being the voice of the people and turns it into the voice of the military (El Zahed). As such, those who want to keep up with what is happening in their country really cannot do so, because they are only provided with what the military wants them to know. This means that both sides of the argument are not being presented. Instead, only what the military wants the people to see and hear will come through the media (Shuman). Other information may come through unofficial channels, but it will not be taken as seriously because the media did not provide it as "truth" to the citizens (Amin).

The state of the media in Egypt is poor, at best. It was better in the past, even when it was controlled by the government (Amin). This was one way of keeping citizens from understanding what was really taking place, but it did not stop them from getting at least a reasonable explanation for most of what was occurring in their country and the surrounding Arab world. It is not just Egypt that gets its information from the Egyptian media. Many other countries also watch stations from Egypt and read newspapers that come from that country (Shukri). Of course, there is always the internet, and much of what is placed there is also censored. Because of the military control and the censorship, the Arab world is not being given the full story of what is taking place in Egypt, and the Egyptian citizens are having a particularly difficult time getting information that is factual and not slanted by the military (Amin).

Most significantly, having this type of controlled media in Egypt means that both sides of the argument are not shown (Khalil). Largely, it does not matter what the "argument" is. It will only be provided in a one-sided format that is beneficial to the government and the military. With the army and other military in Egypt having taken over what is essentially complete control of the media outlets, there is no argument that can even be made anymore. Presenting both sides of the story is not realistic, because the military will only allow the side of the story that makes them look the way they want to in the eyes of the citizens (Reinl). While one could argue that this is being done to protect the citizens, that is actually not the case. It is really being done to control those citizens and what they think they know about their country and the rest of the world -- both Arab and non-Arab (Shuman). That does not mean the information is a completely lie in all cases, but that it is presented in a particular way.

Along with that presentation comes a significant lack of freedom of the press. There are no freedoms in Egypt when it comes to the media (PressTV). Writers and television personalities are not allowed to speak the truth, unless it is the "truth" that is approved by the military. This is a significant way to keep people controlled, and to stop them from thinking for themselves. With the many conflicts that are taking place in the Arab world today, one would think that understanding them properly would be helpful in knowing how to address them and move toward some kind of resolution. However, the media in Egypt is not allowed to present both sides to the issue so that resolution can be worked toward (Reinl). If there was peace in the region, there would be little need for the military. Rather than take that chance, the military is able to keep the conflict going and justify what they choose to do, based solely on what they are telling the people of the country through the media. It is an excellent way to control people, and can be very beneficial to the cause that has the control.

Egypt is not the only area of the world in which this has taken place. Anywhere that the media is controlled and not free, there are people who are not able to think for themselves because they simply do not have all the facts (Mendal). Until and unless people are given all the facts, they are not able to make informed decisions about their lives and the safety and security of their country (Shuman). Media is a huge part of that, because so many people take what they see on the news and read in the papers as being true. They are not aware that they may be being lied to by those they trust to provide them with accurate information. It is important that the people who live in Egypt are told of the untruths in their media, and that they understand that the military is controlling what they see and hear (Elmasry). They may also want to seek out alternative sources of information, so they are able to see what the truth really is, and how much it differs from what they are being told through their media outlets.

Studies have shown that age and gender can both play strong roles in how people feel about government and military control over the media (Shuman). Overall, those who are older are less concerned about the issue, most likely because they have been experiencing it for a longer period of time. Whether it is fair or truthful is not the question, because it is what they are used to and what they have come to expect. This is truer for women than for men, also, as women in Egypt generally have less to do with government and social issues, and leave those types of things to their husbands. In contrast, younger men and women in Egypt were nearly equally concerned about the government and military control of the media, and both genders in the lower age group say the situation as one of grave concern. The belief of these individuals was that the media should be free and independent, and should be able to report the actual truth of any and all situations, not just a half-truth that was perpetuated by only telling one side of the story or providing only some of the details (Shukri).

By looking at the information that was presented in the literature review and through surveys of those who live in Egypt, it is easy to see that the degree of dissatisfaction with the current situation (i.e. government and military control of the media) is astonishing. Most find this control to be completely unacceptable if they are made aware of it, even though older generations are less bothered by it than younger generations. This is likely due simply to older people being more used to the media being controlled by the government, so the military controlling it is essentially the same thing to them (PressTV). The military is, really, a part of the government overall, so there is very little difference. However, one of the biggest sticking points for many people is that the governmental control over the media was loosening in recent years, and had started to unravel even more, to the extent that people began to believe the media would be free to report truthfully (Shuman).

Just when it seemed that was about to happen, the military came in and took over control of the media, allowing it to report only what they wanted the people of Egypt to see and hear (El Zahed). That was a serious and significant blow to any kind of democratic hope for Egyptian citizens, and also stopped the progress that had been taking place in the media over the years and decades beforehand. Until the military took over the media so completely, it had been improving in that the control of the government had been deliberately weakened. Once Mubarak was no longer in control of Egypt, though, everything changed (PressTV). It was unfortunate to see that much progress fade away, as the media is now more controlled than it was at its strictest point in the past. Nothing is reported on unless the military agrees to it, and then it must be "spun" the right way before it is presented to citizens. That is a disservice to the Egyptian people, and does not allow them to really know what is taking place in their own country and the areas around it, so they can make informed choices about their lives.

Conclusions

There are many problems with the control of media. One of the most significant is that media control has a negative impact on social factors (Shuman). There is a very unfair distribution seen when it comes to the information that is being presented to the people. Biased articles and one-sided television news reports are a part of the problem, making it difficult for people in the country to really know what is taking place. For example, when Mohamed Morsi was president, he used the media as a tool to improve the image of the Muslim brotherhood (Khalil). Whether that image was good or bad should have been up to the people based on fair and balanced reporting, but Morsi had his own agenda. He made sure the media was not allowed to show both sides of the argument, so the Egyptian people did not see the bad side of the brotherhood. They only saw the good things, and whether those things were even true were very debatable. However, because Morsi had control over the media, it was easy for him to make the Muslim brotherhood look any way he desired (Khalil).

The press most commonly manipulates society by not showing both views or opinions when it comes to an argument. They report only one side, so the people who would be called upon to form an opinion can do so only based on the information they have -- which is extremely incomplete (Shuman). The media bias has a very negative effect on how safe the people feel, and how they have felt in the past, including during the revolution (Elmasry). They wrongly believed that there was more danger than was actually present, and that caused them to be fearful and timid when they really could have gone about their daily lives. The Egyptian people missed out on quite a lot of information during that time, and little has changed. Even if they know they are not getting all the information, they are still stuck because they do not have other places through which they can obtain information.

The decisions that a person makes on a daily basis is often affected -- at least somewhat -- by the power of the media. This is especially true where the economy is concerned. The press is well-able to destroy the reputation of something, such as a product, business, or person. This happened when the media discovered that Hazim Abou Ismail was 1/2 American (Shukri). Once that was discovered, the media vilified him and essentially destroyed who he was as a person, by making sure it discriminated against him. People are easily swayed, especially in a large group, and when people saw that the media wanted no part of Ismail, they quickly adopted that opinion, as well. They did not seem to think carefully about the fact that people liked him when they did not know about the American side, but suddenly hated him when they found out. Nothing about the man had actually changed, but the media's portrayal of him as bad because of being 1/2 American was enough to turn nearly every person away from him and ensure that his reputation and value in the community was ruined (Shukri).