After an official admission of the failure of the media, does Egypt need a new media machine?

Media experts and observers criticized the statements of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, about the need for Egypt to have a powerful media machine, considering these statements an admission of the failure of the current machine, which swallowed huge sums to no avail, which means that the matter needs a different way.

A few days ago, Shukry said that Egypt needs a powerful media machine that can reach others and be influential, and this needs effort and capabilities, pointing out that "the terrorist Brotherhood has a powerful media machine targeting stability in Egypt, and it is not in its interest to show the positives," he said.

In press statements during his response to international criticism of the Egyptian government regarding the human rights file, Shoukry said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is highlighting the data, which show "the achievements and development that is taking place, and no one can deny the extent of the effort exerted in the field of human rights."

Observers saw in the statement of the Egyptian Foreign Minister an official recognition of the failure of the local media to reach the people and convince Egyptians of the government's "achievements", despite the huge money that was spent on the local media.

Not the first

It is worth noting that Shoukry's statement is not the first in the context of state officials' criticism of the performance of the local media.

Rather, he was preceded by the Minister of Information himself, Osama Heikal, a few months ago, with statements that brought him a sharp attack from media professionals close to the authority, in which he said, "The ages are less than 35 years, and they represent about 60% or 65% of the society. They do not read newspapers and do not watch." Television, "calling for" thinking about the lifestyle of these groups. "

As soon as the minister published his post on his personal page, announcers and journalists working for newspapers and satellite channels owned by the regime or close to it launched a sharp attack on him, considering that he was repeating the statements of "enemies' media" in reference to the Egyptian opposition channels abroad, and providing them with "fertile material to undermine the reputation of the Egyptian media." It even amounted to describing the newspapers owned by the Intelligence Service as a tool in the hands of the Brotherhood.

The Minister of Information was not the highest official in the Egyptian regime criticizing the regime’s media, as the President of the Republic, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi himself, had previously criticized the media through statements on separate occasions, calling on Egyptian media professionals to pay attention to issues of concern to people.

Al-Sisi showed an early interest in possessing what he called “media arms,” as he spoke about this since he was defense minister under the late President Mohamed Morsi before he led a military coup on July 3, 2013, which suspended the constitution and dismissed the elected president.

Despite these official criticisms of the failure to manage the local media file, companies owned by security services or personalities close to the authority continue to acquire written and visual local media, and the private Al-Mehwar channel was the last of the stations whose ownership was recently transferred to personalities close to the state.

It was bought by Vice President of the "Future of the Nation" party, Muhammad Manzur.

Press sources in "Al-Masry Al-Youm" newspaper told Al-Jazeera Net that the deal to sell the newspaper in favor of a person close to the state is in the process of being finalized.

The United Media Services Company, which is owned by a security apparatus, owns several newspapers and satellite channels, including “Al-Dustour”, “Al-Watan,” and “DMC” (dmc), “ON” and “Al-Nahar” channels, in addition to several news websites, including “Mudda”.

The journalist, Salim Azouz, in a post on his personal page, considered Shukri's statements in recognition of the failure of the Mekamelin Al-Sharq channels, which are broadcast from abroad, indicating that despite all the media arsenal that Sisi possesses, they want a media window.

Bloggers considered Shukry's comments a new admission added to previous statements by other officials in the same context, and they were attacked because of it.

News # Sameh_hkura says the system needs a

media machine window and influential can reach to others and explain the

achievements and Alttoralve happen, noting that the

group # Brotherhood has a

strong media machine do not show the

positives in # Egypt

comment

Brotherhood do not have the

only channel homeland and expense by 5 pounds either inform the

exchange it trillion https: https://t.co/sF1Ho7A9Mt

- Hassan Abdulrahman (@ ha5153422) March 17, 2021

The opposition media failed and failed from Sisi’s media. If it were not for # Joe Shaw and some programs of Al-Jazeera, we would not know that there is still an Egyptian opposition,

Sameh Shoukry, who wants a media machine that confronts the shocking facts and obscures it

- Essam (@ Ahmh24287495) March 16, 2021

In turn, broadcasters of the Egyptian opposition satellite channels abroad received the Minister of Foreign Affairs’s statement with more attention, and they considered it an admission of wasting huge funds in a failed media, while the Egyptian media attacking it as a Brotherhood media that is managed with self-efforts and with minimal means.

Verbs are more powerful than words

Media expert Atef Abdel Gawad explained that the problem that the Egyptian Foreign Minister does not pay attention to is that the best tool to promote the government's achievements is actions, not words or media coverage in Egypt.

In his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, Abdel-Gawad pointed out that "it is rare for the international media, foreign governments, human rights institutions, or the world in general to rely on what the Egyptian media machine says," adding that "there may have been real achievements in Egypt; but there are in return." Big negatives wipe out a large part of the positive impact of these achievements. "

The media expert confirmed that the method of this media machine is wrong.

Because it is based on two elements that contribute to self-defeating the media message. The first is the “drumming and cheering” of the higher levels of government in the country, according to a local custom that says that “the press can be friends with the government,” while it is assumed that the press and the government are not friends; rather, the press A watchdog on the government. "

As for the second element that contributes to self-defeating the media message, it is the absence of the concept of admitting error, whether at the different levels of government or at the level of various government statements or the trends and practices of the media, as he put it.

Abdul-Jawad continued, saying that people know that there are no angels in power, and pretending that there are angels that do not make mistakes is in itself a contribution to self-defeating the media message, and the effective media principle is very simple, which is that if people can believe you on the "black" day, then they will They believe you on the "white" day.

The foregoing means in the appreciation of Abdel-Gawad the need for an independent media that can be relied upon, to ensure the protection of journalists, to change media education and the emergence of a culture of publicly acknowledging mistakes, even partially, stressing that Egyptians need to eradicate the current media from its roots, and plant a new seed. Reliance on superficial reforms that have been repeated several times since 1952.