Egyptian Media Research Articles

Comparative sentiment analysis of grand renaissance dam controversy in Egyptian and Ethiopian newspapers

Through a 3-year period of content analysis, this study compares predominant sentiments, stakeholder portrayal, framing techniques, and prevailing tone in Egyptian ‘Ahram Online’ and ‘The Reporter’ Ethiopian newspaper coverage of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) controversy. Despite the relatively extended, ongoing nature of GERD negotiations, throughout the last 3 years, 2020 – 2023, representing the time frame of the current study, the news coverage of both the Ethiopian and Egyptian media has portrayed the sentimental pillars of controversy in a contemporary manner.The results revealed that Ahram Online, the Egyptian newspaper, predominantly conveys a positive sentiment, echoing Egypt's focus on diplomacy and negotiation to resolve the Grand Renaissance Dam dispute, fostering an optimistic and cooperative tone. Conversely, 'The Reporter,' an Ethiopian newspaper, exhibits varying sentiments over time, with positive portrayals of Ethiopia's perspective on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and negative sentiments concerning external actors and evolving Egypt-Ethiopia tensions.Ahram Online portrays Egypt as advocating for its water rights and comprehensive agreements, emphasizing diplomacy and casting Egypt positively. 'The Reporter' presents Ethiopia as dedicated to its development, emphasizing the GERD's importance while critically covering external stakeholders.Both newspapers employ framing techniques. Ahram Online emphasizes cooperation, regional stability, and responsible water use, framing the GERD issue positively. 'The Reporter' highlights Ethiopia's historical challenges and the urgency of the GERD project while critically framing external actors.Al-Ahram's tone remains optimistic and cooperative, emphasizing diplomatic solutions. 'The Reporter' exhibits varying tones, including optimism, urgency, skepticism, and negativity, reflecting Ethiopia's perspective and concerns about external actors and evolving tensions.

Falsehood on social media in Egypt: Rumour detection and sentiment analysis of users’ comments

The dissemination of rumours and fabricated information via social media has the potential to adversely impact social cohesiveness and contribute to political polarization, which may lead to political divisions by casting doubt on the effectiveness of government and politicians. In light of the global economic crisis caused by the Russian–Ukrainian War, this study aims to identify economic rumours that were circulating in Egyptian society via social media. Machine learning was employed as a means of analysing the sentiment of user comments on various posts, thus providing an effective method for debunking fake news. In order to identify the most salient features of misleading information, the study qualitatively assessed the visual and linguistic elements of the postings. A total of 10,031 comments were analysed after being categorized into main groups. The study’s results revealed key features pertaining to the sentiments expressed in the comments as well as identifying common textual traits of rumours and specific visual sentiments depicted in accompanying photos. This research sheds light on the importance of identifying and debunking rumours and fabricated information in order to mitigate their potentially negative effects on social cohesiveness and political polarization. Additionally, it highlights the utility of employing machine learning as a tool for analysing sentiment in user-generated content on social media platforms.

The representations of journalists in Naguib Mahfouz’s novellas: How are they reflected in today’s journalism in Egypt?

This interdisciplinary study explores representations of journalists linking literary criticism with media cultural studies. The researcher examines works from the sixties by Nobel laureate writer and novelist Naguib Mahfouz. While the article concentrates on Mahfouz’s works dealing with journalism, it presents a qualitative analysis of three novellas of his from the sixties: The Thief and the Dogs, The Beggar and A Drift on the Nile. In these works, Mahfouz presents cogent and well-founded arguments on the image of the Egyptian journalists, which manifest itself until now. The article argues that the psychological and social aspects of journalism that Mahfouz delineates are recalled nowadays in the vast, ubiquitous mediascape Egypt inhabits as evidence of the self-perpetuated nature of the masterful Egyptian culture. In this work Norman Fairclough’s model of discourse analysis is employed to survey the roles and characteristics of journalists in a context of power and ideology during President Nasser’s regime and shows not only how they are similar to those of journalists nowadays but also the evolution of journalists under el-Sisi neo-authoritarianism. It also draws on the thoughts of theorists like Lucien Goldmann, mainly the concept of ‘world vision’ to inspect the problem of the identity of Egyptian journalism. The study concludes that these three novels show journalists’ negative image as traitors, subservient to political power, sellers of trivia or full of nihilism. Mahfouz’s representations reflect the outputs of Egyptian media milieu under authoritarian Nasser’s era. The article reflects upon contemporary authoritarian regime in Egypt, discussing the types of media practitioners currently exist who almost repeat the almost-closed cultural circle, only with a complete control of intelligence apparatus.

Defining Egyptian Media Literacy through the Lens of Current Events: A Descriptive Analysis

Defining Egyptian Media Literacy through the Lens of Current Events: A Descriptive Analysis

Egyptian Media Coverage of International Climate Politics: A Case Study of COP27

Egyptian Media Coverage of International Climate Politics: A Case Study of COP27

The social contention over a new labour law in post- 2014 Egypt: Understanding regime choices and strategies

ABSTRACT Discussions surrounding a new labor law in Egypt, started after the 2011 uprising. However, this law has not yet been promulgated until today. How can this delay be explained? The present article argues that the delay reflects the difficult position in which the post-2014 regime found itself and the difficult choices it had to make. Building on a systematic reading of Egyptian media from 2014 to 2020, this article reconstructs discussions about different versions of the draft law, identifying dilemmas the post-2014 regime faced: on one hand, it sought to opt for a more nuanced approach to flexibility and deregulation while also limiting the arbitrary power of employers over workers that had led to wildcat strikes under Mubarak. On the other hand, it sought to prevent international companies from stopping imports from Egyptian factories and suppliers due to their lack of compliance with international labor standards. In response, the regime coopted moderate segments of the independent unionist movement and adopted some labor-friendly measures that were rejected by employer representatives. This led to a postponement of a decision regarding the law.

Hybrid regimes and narrative legitimacy during economic crises: Resiliency narratives of Egypt’s economic crisis

This study advances a theory of resiliency narratives to hybrid regimes by proposing a continuum mapping a democratic, hybrid and modern authoritarian narrative structure based on its directionality and informational content during economic crises. Using Egypt’s 2016 economic crisis as a case study, we examine Egyptian and Russian native language media reporting. The results show that Egyptian media provide coherent narratives of economic resiliency devoid of ideological messaging, with attribution of blame placed on domestic causes more than international, providing support to the hybrid regimes’ differentiated narrative structures.

Egyptian Media History and Politics

Egyptian Media History and Politics

The Portrayal of COVID-19 Vaccine in the Egyptian Media: A Comparative Media Study Between TV Channels and Online Newspapers

This paper analyzes the media portrayal of COVID-19 Vaccine in the Egyptian Media and comparing between TV Channels & Online Newspapers.Media portrayal should be objective and balance to direct people’s mind towards what’s best for them so, the aim of this paper is to define objectivity and balance in reporting news then, explore objectivity and balance of media portrayal for COVID-19 Vaccines in the Egyptian Media. This paper is going to use the qualitative content analysis for the Egyptian media.This research attempts to study the impact of media through Framing theory & Agenda building theory by explaining how media can frame any topic to certain perspective.This topic falls under SDG number 3 Good health and Well-Being ensuring people’s good health in the Egyptian society. Keywords : Media portrayal / COVID-19 / Vaccine / Objectivity / Balance DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/104-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2023

The Role of Egyptian Media in Raising Awareness and Applying Preventive Measures During Phases of COVID-19 Crisis: A Comparative Media Study of Traditional and Social Media

This study aims to explore the relationship between Egyptian media representation of COVID-19 crisis and raising awareness along with constructing preventive response during the phases of such crisis. COVID-19 has been highly, globally covered by all media platforms, whether traditional or new media through different projection or frames by using specific language and words to deliver information about the disease vaccine and its consequences regarding stopping the crisis.Preventive measure are actions implied by media portrayals to persuade audiences to behaviorally respond to the pandemic disease by providing people with tips like wearing a mask/gloves, staying at home, and keeping social distance. These preventive responses can sometimes be ineffective if audiences' preferences aren’t matching the media source delivering information which takes us to the importance of studying audiences’ needs and wants as well as addressing their concerns and stress.The study targets two age groups of males and females (18-25 and 26-30), to explain the use of traditional and new media in constructing perceptions upon COVID-19 vaccine plan and the urge Egyptian media impose when it comes to accepting the vaccine intake. Social media platforms are widely used as prosumers are no longer restricted from sharing, selecting, and creating the content which takes the portrayal of news to a new level.Moreover, this study will use “The Crisis Communication Lifecycle” model as its theoretical framework through which it explains the types of information needed to be delivered in times of crisis by explaining five main stages the crisis will go through.Besides, the study will use a mini survey to explore media’ role in raising awareness and affecting Egyptian’s behavioral responses concerning COVID-19 crisis along with Egyptians interactivity and reliance on traditional and social media Keywords: Media Representation, Raising Awareness, Preventive Measure, Crisis Management, Crisis Communication Lifecycle DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/104-02 Publication date: January 31 st 2023

ASPECTS OF THE POSITION OF SOME ARAB MASS MEDIA ON THE SITUATION AROUND UKRAINE AND THE ROLE OF RUSSIA

The article provides an overview of some publications in a number of English-speaking regional and international Arab mass media, with an emphasis on materials concerning the problem of the position of the Arab media and some Arab countries in relation to the situation in Ukraine and in relation to Russia. For this purpose, several new publications are given from among those closest to the official position, as well as other articles appearing in the opinion section of authors from media close to the Arabian monarchies, Lebanese and Egyptian media that differ in the presentation of the material. Also is given the opinion of the opposition Syrian author criticizing Arab media sources, as at the same time this opinion gives a kind of outline of the position of these media.

Early Egyptian Radio

Abstract This article historically traces some of Egypt’s early private radio stations which operated from the late-1920s until May 1934 when they were all forcefully shut down by the Egyptian government. It sheds light on this important early period in Egyptian media history and highlights the role of many unacknowledged early radio pioneers. More importantly, the article analyzes the early forced transition to government-controlled radio and the impact this sudden shift must have had on the owners, producers and listeners of these stations as well as its broader implications on Egypt’s media landscape. This top-down transition from media-capitalism to what I call media-etatism started with radio in the 1930s and, later on under Gamal Abdel Nasser, expanded to print and other media, exemplifying state control of media in Egypt for at least an entire generation.

Essential Features of Media Discourse in Egypt

The article is devoted to the analysis of the latest trends in the development of media discourse in the Arab Republic of Egypt (ARE). The history of the formation of the Egyptian media is considered with an emphasis on changes in state media policy after the revolutionary events of 2011 and 2013. The main provisions of the legislation regulating the mass media and its impact on the press are analyzed. The author provides statistical data and expert judgments characterizing the effectiveness of Egyptian mass media, and leads the independent NGOs assessments of the observance of the principle of freedom of speech in this Middle Eastern country. The main reasons for the popularity of foreign alternative sources of information are listed.

The Relationship between the State and the New Media in Egypt: A Dynamic of Openness, Adaptation, and Narrowing

This article offers a new perspective on the extensive discussion of the role of new media in facilitating the 2011 Egyptian uprising by placing it within the historical context of how the state responded to new media in the previous decades. This article uses an archaeological analysis of state media to reveal how the state coped with the news media (newspapers, radio, television, satellite television) in the past to infer the present relationship between the state and the new media (the internet and social media). We discerned a recurring cyclical pattern characterized by a dynamic of openness–adaptation–narrowing, which sheds light on the media’s ability to challenge state authority and on the state’s ability to contain and limit new media. We suggest that the role of the internet and social media in the Egyptian “Arab Spring” should be viewed as being on this continuum, as an extension of processes of state–media relations that had developed in the preceding decades.

Constructing the National Body through Public Homophobia: A Discourse Analysis of Egyptian Media Coverage of the ‘Rainbow Flag Case’ in 2017

Since the revolution in 2011 and the reconstitution of authoritarian military rule under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2013, various moral panics shook Egypt and were accompanied by the policing of bodies, sexuality and sexual identities. The so-called ‘Rainbow Flag case’ was a notable illustration of such policing. After youths waved a rainbow flag at a concert in Cairo in 2017, state-controlled media led a vicious campaign against homosexuality that was part of a massive state crackdown on LGBTIQ+ people. Building on previous feminist research on gendered nationalism, this paper uses a discourse analysis methodology to examine state-controlled media coverage after the event to explore the discursive repertoires that constitute LGBTIQ+ people, especially homosexuals, as others within the Egyptian nation. It becomes evident that the regime – needing to reconsolidate and strengthen its authoritarian rule – promotes and supports a self-legitimising gendered nationalism, generating power by re-establishing heteronormative identities. Furthermore, the crackdown, repression, and discourse aim to restore the patriarchal order after the revolution in 2011.

Women and Crime: Exploring the Role of Gender, Sexuality, and Race in Constructions of Female Criminality

This roundtable on women and crime was inspired by a discussion at a CUNY Dissections Seminar in April 2021, where Gülhan Balsoy presented her work in progress on Ottoman crime fiction in the early 20th century. The focus of her paper was a popular murder mystery series called The National Collection of Murders, which had been published in Istanbul in 1914. The protagonists of this fictional crime series were a mother and daughter known as the Dark Witch and the Bloody Fairy, who led an underground criminal gang living in a secret subterranean world beneath the city of Istanbul. While reading her paper the night before the seminar, I could not help but notice striking parallels between this fictional Ottoman murder mystery and the sensationalized media coverage of a 1921 Egyptian serial murder case, popularly known by the name of its alleged perpetrators, Raya and Sakina. In both the fictive Ottoman story and the Egyptian media coverage of a real crime, two sets of female relatives were presented as the respective leaders of a criminal gang that stole luxury goods from respectable families and turned their homes into human slaughterhouses. In both cases, the female gang leaders used “superstition” to deceive and trap their victims while continually outwitting the police, all against a backdrop of illicit sex.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ МОВНОГО ВАРІЮВАННЯ В ЄГИПЕТСЬКИХ ОНЛАЙН-НОВИНАХ(НА МАТЕРІАЛАХ ГАЗЕТИ "AL-YAWM AS-SĀBIʻ")

In this paper, the peculiarities of different language codes functioning in the modern Egyptian media space were investigated based on the materials of the newspaper "Al-Yawm as-sābiʻ" (in social media – Youm7). The subject of the study involves the linguistic and sociolinguistic features of online news texts represented on the official website of the newspaper, as well as on the platforms of Facebook and Instagram. The analysis of more than 200 news items has indicated that the texts are published in both standard and colloquial forms of the Arabic language. It was also found that the choice of language code depends on the resource on which the news is posted, on their form and subject (socio-political, religious, cultural, etc.). It is shown that the form of news (text or different types of creolized texts) on the official website differs from the social networks' content. In particular, it was noted that the form of the text inserted into an iconic image is predominantly utilized in the social networks. This is due to the focus of the aforementioned resources on optimizing the data transmission to attract the recipient's attention. The author also outlined a thematic classification of the studied news. It is noted that all three online resources preserve a common tendency to the thematic and contextual conditionality in the choice of language code. Socio-political news is published in Modern Standard Arabic with minor deviations from the norm, thus, reflecting the specifics of Egyptian Arabic. It is noticed that the news of cultural and entertaining content reveals the usage of Egyptian Arabic, code switching (from the standard to colloquial form of the language), colloquial lexis insertions, lexical interferents from English, switching from colloquial Arabic to English. It is explicated that despite the common features of language variation, each of the three platforms contains a different amount of text and the amount of news about a particular event. The research has shown that the social network Instagram contains the largest number of samples in Egyptian Arabic since this resource focuses primarily on entertaining content.

A Case Study: Mada Masr—A Progressive Voice in Egypt and Beyond

This article questions the role of the media in times of political transformation. In doing so, it draws on theories on the interconnectedness of the different fields of society to explain the sets of roles that media outlets and journalists adopt during phases of transition. Before 2011, the Egyptian media mostly acted as collaborators of the ruling regime and rarely as an agent of change. Journalists took over the latter role more often following the advent of privately-owned media outlets, thus helping to pave the way for the events of the so-called Arab Spring. This case study focuses on the development of the online news portal <em>Mada Masr</em> and therefore traces the development of two newsrooms. Starting as the English edition of a privately-owned Arabic newspaper in 2009 and changing its status to an independent news outlet in 2013, <em>Mada Masr</em> is one of the few voices which still openly criticise the Egyptian government. Founded in a time of political turmoil and struggling against an increasingly authoritarian environment, the outlet implements innovative ways of producing content, securing funding, and reaching out to its readers. A group of young Egyptian and international journalists make use of new spaces for expression that have opened through the global changes in communication infrastructure while struggling with frequent attacks by representatives of the ruling regime. As such, <em>Mada Masr</em> is a role model for small and regime-critical media outlets.

Solving Egypt’s Economic Crisis: The Strategic Role of Chinese, Russian, and Egyptian Media Narratives

ABSTRACT This study examined Chinese, Russian, and Egyptian news articles from December 2014 to December 2019 on 18 different native language news sites to determine how countries with close media-state relationships use Egypt’s economic crisis to build narrative alliances and boost national identity. Using a ratio-oriented approach to strategic crisis narratives, this article shows that Scene-driven ratios are instrumental for crisis-ridden countries to rhetorically rebuild their economic order for national audiences and for other countries to forge alliances and boost their national economic identities. Similarities in narrative ratios and shifts between Chinese and Egyptian national media suggest a dual strategy by which China exploits Egypt’s economic crisis to enhance its national identity and depict Egypt as an economic partner in its Road and Belt initiative. Russia’s narrative ratios and shifts highlight Russia’s economic and military actors as the dominant drivers influencing Russian-Egyptian relations, indicating more short-term and self-centered narrative strategies. This article advances ideas about strategic crisis narratives by introducing a framework for theorizing relationships between the (in)consistency of ratios and international actors’ ability to narrate crisis resolutions and elevate their crisis identities and interests for national audiences.

From Nasser to al-Sīsī

Abstract After the events of June 30 and July 3, 2013, that brought the Muslim Brotherhood rule to an end, Egyptian President ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Sīsī has been carried aloft on waves of adulation of most of the Egyptian people. This phenomenon was reflected in popular expressions and in the Egyptian media, and any criticism of it was minimal. Interestingly, it was the portrayal of al-Sīsī in a children’s magazine, Samīr (February 1, 2014), that generated vocal public debate on issues of the exposure of children to political content and their indoctrination. This article examines why this case provoked such harsh criticism even though political content and indoctrination in children’s magazines are not a new phenomenon in Egypt but rather a continuation of past traditions, and discusses what insights can be gleaned from the affair with regard to Egyptian society today.