This blog is dedicated to exploring mass communication practices abroad, especially compared to United States practices. In my last post, I explained Nike's advertisement formula used across international borders. Today, I will discuss the different news practices used internationally, specifically in Egypt.
Bassem Youssef is an Egyptian satirist who hosts a talk show comparable to the U.S.'s Daily Show with Jon Stewart. As you can imagine, this job, in Egypt, is no piece of cake. Recently, private news channel CBC canceled his show claiming he had not followed their editing requirements. Shortly after, Bassem was arrested under charges brought on by leaders of the Egyptian Lawyer's Union.
Studying mass media effects in this case concerns agenda setting both with regards to how and why Bassem was arrested, and with regards to the news coverage of that arrest. I will be analyzing the latter of these two areas.
- Agenda-Setting is the theory that suspects media do not reflect reality, rather, they filter and shape it.
Maxwell E. McCombs and Donald L. Shaw conducted a study titled "The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media" on voters in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. From their results, they concluded: “the evidence is in line with the conditions that must exist if agenda-setting by the mass media does occur.” This study proved that media distort reality, and, in this case, reflect the views and opinions of whoever is in charge; we can call these regulators.
Egypt News Daily's post about Bassem report the opinion of the State Commission, which, to the news outlet, is a worthy source. It says, "The report [the State Commission's] meanwhile warned that freedom of expression should respect wider societal values and morals in Egypt, not attack or waste efforts by the state." Egypt News Daily is providing for its readers support for the notion that the state should supersede civil rights such as freedom of speech.
We know that, behind the scenes, Egypt News Daily is either required to report what the government dictates to them, or it is, itself, government owned. Regulation is a key factor here. Regulation in America takes place in the form of the FCC, a government agency, but in countries like Egypt, regulators reign.
- Regulation is, in this case, censorship dictated by an authoritarian government.
Other than giving Bassem a voice, American news has provided commentary on what his arrest means for the situation in Egypt. Washington Post's article on Bassem is titled "Wow. Nearly half of Egyptian support suspending TV satirist Bassem Youssef." This title, alone, expresses the unbelieving disapproval of Americans' towards any country that may limit freedom of speech. The "Wow" seems to scoff at citizens who would support regulators to control the flow of news.
Sources:
Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef
"The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media"
Egypt News Daily's post about Bassem
FCC
CNN's video on Bassem
Washington Post's article on Bassem
