“Lotus Revolution” (Egypt State Information Service1), “18-Day Revolution”
(Armbruster 2011), “Nile Revolution” (Murdock February 8, 2011), “Facebook
Revolution” (Herrera February 12, 2011) – what happened in Egypt at the beginning of
2011 was given many different titles. Some even call it “the most unexpected
development in modern Egyptian history” (Sharp 2011b: 2). After 18 days of protests
in Cairo and other cities all over Egypt, the Egyptian people made their President
Hosni Mubarak resign. He had been ruling the country for almost 30 years and his
people wanted to get rid of him and his regime. That was their goal and that is what
they achieved.
Of course there were international reactions to the uprisings from all over the
world. “Numerous press reports […] have recounted feelings of popular empowerment
and pride inspired by the exploits of Egypt’s young protesters” (Sharp 2011b: 5).
During the revolution, European leaders urged “Egypt’s transition to a new
government” at the beginning of February (Murdock February 4), while China blocked
the word “Egypt” from a twitter-like micro blogging website, according to Associated
Press (quoted by Al Jazeera 2011).Further, when considering recent developments in
Libya and Syria, other Middle Eastern countries seem to be inspired by the revolutions
in both Tunisia and Egypt. After Mubarak had stood down on February 11, the
reactions were even stronger – “Today, we are all Egyptians”, stated Norwegian Prime
Minister Jens Stoltenberg and David Cameron suggested “We should teach the
Egyptian revolution in our schools” (ESIS 2011).
However, the United States seem to keep a particularly eager eye on the most
populous country of the Middle East. Souad Mekhennet, New York Times and ZDF
correspondent, states in an interview with the German medium magazine that
“curiously, the American media reacted much faster than the European” when it comes
to reporting about the Egyptian revolution (Milz 2011: 20). Moreover, she adds that the
large US media outlets’ reporting on the topic is “much more continuous and broader”
(ibid.), giving a lot more background information on the region. This special attention
is most likely due to the fact that for the United States, Egypt is a highly important
actor when it comes to foreign policy in the region. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. The 2011 Egyptian revolution
1.2. The papers
1.3. Methodology
2. Analysis
2.1. Editorial
2.1.1. The Wall Street Journal
2.1.2. New York Times
2.1.3. San Francisco Chronicle
2.1.4. The Washington Times
2.1.5. Conclusion
2.2. News story
2.2.1. The Wall Street Journal
2.2.2. New York Times
2.2.3. San Francisco Chronicle
2.2.4. The Washington Times
2.2.5. Conclusion
2.3. Letter to the Editor
2.3.1. The Wall Street Journal
2.3.2. New York Times
2.3.3. San Francisco Chronicle
2.3.4. The Washington Times
2.3.5. Conclusion
3. Conclusion
4. Works Cited
4.1. Primary sources
4.2. Secondary sources
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper investigates the extent to which political bias in US print media influences the coverage of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. By analyzing three distinct genres—editorials, news stories, and letters to the editor—across four major US newspapers, the study aims to identify whether the outlets' established political leanings are reflected in their reporting and how these diverse media sources frame a major international geopolitical crisis.
- The influence of political bias on the framing of international events in US print media.
- Comparative analysis of media coverage across the 18 days of the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
- Methodological examination of news genres: editorials, news stories, and reader responses.
- The role of the United States government and its foreign policy dilemma in US news reports.
- The impact of editorial tone and word choice on the reader's perception of the revolution.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1. The 2011 Egyptian revolution
Strictly speaking, the 2011 revolution in Egypt already started on June 7, 2010. That day, a young man named Khaled Said was heavily beaten up by policemen in Alexandria, resulting in numerous fractures of his face and skull that led to his death (Armbruster 2011: 17). “The events leading to Khaled’s killing originated when he supposedly posted a video of two police officers allegedly dividing the spoils of a drug bust” (Herrera February 12, 2011). That kind of citizen journalism was the only way for young Egyptians to react to their corrupt guardians of the law (ibid.). The state-ruled media outlets were highly corrupt and biased. After beating him to death, the Alexandrian police told everyone Khaled Said was a drug addict who died because he swallowed a pack of drugs. Although everyone knew that was a lie, the policemen never even had to justify themselves in court. “That’s the way things are in authoritarian Egypt” (Armbruster 2011: 17.).
However, Khaled Said and his tragic brutal death were not forgotten, especially not among the members of Egypt’s young Internet generation. The facebook group “We are all Khaled Said” started distributing pictures of Said’s smashed face and connected with other oppositional groups, such as “Kefaya”, the “April 6 movement”, the “Socialist Revolutionaries”, the “Muslim Brotherhood” (Egypt State Information Service 2011) and the “National Association for Change” founded by Nobel Peace Prize holder Mohammed El-Baradei (Armbruster 2011: 17) in order to plan a “Day of Rage, a march against ‘Torture, Corruption, Poverty and Unemployment’ for January 25, 2011” (Herrera February 12, 2011). The opposition groups did not chose this day by chance, for January 25 is also the day chosen by the Egyptian government to honor and celebrate Egyptian police (ibid.).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the 2011 Egyptian revolution and the research question concerning political bias in US newspaper coverage.
2. Analysis: Examines how editorials, news stories, and letters to the editor reflect the political stance of four different US newspapers regarding the revolution.
2.1. Editorial: Analyzes how editorial boards use their platforms to present specific political arguments about US involvement and the revolution.
2.2. News story: Investigates the structural and reporting differences in daily news coverage across the chosen newspapers.
2.3. Letter to the Editor: Explores how selected reader submissions contribute to the overall political framing and diversity of opinion within the newspapers.
3. Conclusion: Summarizes findings on how political slant impacts reporting across different newspaper genres and the diversity of the US media landscape.
4. Works Cited: Lists all primary newspaper articles and secondary scholarly sources utilized in the study.
Keywords
Egyptian revolution, US print media, political bias, journalism, editorial analysis, Hosni Mubarak, Muslim Brotherhood, US foreign policy, news framing, media landscape, Tahrir Square, print journalism, newspaper circulation, Middle East, democratic transition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work examines how the 2011 Egyptian revolution was covered by four major US newspapers, specifically analyzing whether their reported political leanings influenced their reporting of the events.
Which newspapers are included in the analysis?
The study includes The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Washington Times.
What is the primary goal of the paper?
The aim is to determine if the political slant of these newspapers is reflected in their news coverage, editorials, and letters to the editor during the 18-day revolution period.
What methodology is employed?
The research uses a qualitative content analysis of 615 articles, focusing on three specific genres and evaluating them based on frameworks provided by scholars like Allan Bell and Karin Wahl-Jorgensen.
What is examined in the main section?
The main section investigates the specific treatment of the Egyptian revolution within editorials, news stories, and letters to the editor, comparing the narrative and political perspectives of each publication.
Which keywords characterize this analysis?
The key concepts include Egyptian revolution, political bias, US print media, news framing, and media representation.
How does The Washington Times differ from the other newspapers?
The Washington Times is characterized by its distinct conservative stance, which, unlike the more subtle approach of other papers, openly uses inflammatory language to criticize the Obama administration's response to the revolution.
What role do letters to the editor play in the findings?
The analysis of letters reveals that they often reinforce the editorial stance of the paper, though The New York Times demonstrated the most balanced selection of diverse reader opinions.
- Quote paper
- Annika Witzel (Author), 2011, The 2011 Revolution in Egypt in US Print Media, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/193278
