The media battle for Egypt + Changing the US vision of the Middle East + Eliminate the Witnesses

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AlJazeeraEnglish | February 05, 2011

Despite the best efforts of Hosni Mubarak’s government, images of millions of Egyptians protesting on the streets of Cairo, Alexandra and Suez have been beamed around the world. But while the clashes between anti- and pro-Mubarak protestors dominated the airwaves, the journalists covering the fighting became targets themselves. Many were harassed, arrested and beaten while others had their equipment confiscated, but they continued to cover the story.

The government pulled the plug on the country’s internet connection, cut the phone lines for a time, poured propaganda out on state-controlled media but the momentum of the demonstrators was unstoppable. We trail the coverage of one of the biggest political protests in Arab history, one that came together online, dominated the headlines and sent tremors all the way from Sanaa to Washington.

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Listening Post – The media battle for Egypt

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Inside Story – Changing the US vision of the Middle East

adder757 on Feb 9, 2011

History in the making: The Egyptian peoples’ uprising is a turning point that is likely to change the face of the Middle East. But can it also mark a new chapter in the US approach to and vision of the region? Inside Story investigates.

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Eliminate the Witnesses: Committee to Protect Journalists Criticizes Mubarak’s Policy of Attacking and Silencing Journalists in Egypt

Democracy Now!
Feb. 4, 2011

The Mubarak regime’s violent crackdown has included deliberate targeting of journalists covering the protests across Egypt. News outlets including Al Jazeera, CBS News, ABC News, Fox News, CNN, BBC, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Australian Broadcasting, Danish TV2 News and Swiss television have reported assaults, intimidation or arrests of their workers. We speak to Frank Smyth with the Committee to Protect Journalists, who reports there has been a record of 100 attacks on journalists, 30 detentions, 26 assaults, and eight cases of media equipment seized. “This is worst case of the most blatant violence against the press that I’ve seen in my 24 years or so reporting and my 10 years at CPJ,” Smyth says. “Clearly the Mubarak regime is responsible. They are implementing a policy to eliminate witnesses to what is occurring. It seems that the Mubarak regime is attempting to literally unplug Egypt from the world.” [includes rush transcript]

via Eliminate the Witnesses: Committee to Protect Journalists Criticizes Mubarak’s Policy of Attacking and Silencing Journalists in Egypt

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see

Egypt – The Peoples’ Voices by Felicity Arbuthnot

US Media and Egypt Coverage: Dodging the Real Issues and Fudging the Real Culprits by Sibel Edmonds

Israeli Spy Arrest in Egypt Points to High Stakes for Washington and Tel Aviv by Finian Cunningham

Robert Fisk: Obama Admin Has Been Gutless and Cowardly + Eyewitnesses to a Massacre

A cautionary tale by William Blum