The role of Egyptian media in the coup

As a result of the collusion between the media and the current political regime, in Egypt there is a news blackout concerning the abuses against human rights. This is one of the conclusions of Fatima el Issawi, researcher for the think tank POLIS (London School of Economics), in this article that analyses the role of the media, and in particular presenters of television debate programmes, before and after the January 2011 revolution

Tunisian media in transition.

The Carnegie Papers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and POLIS, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK

The painful rebirth of Libya’s mainstream news media (guest blog)

How are Libya’s journalists coping after the end of the Gaddaffi regime? Polis research fellow Fatima El-Issawi has been to find out. Here she gives a flavour of her trip

Moroccan national media: between change and status quo

The pro-democracy protests of the Moroccan Spring provided the national media with an open season that could not last long. Then, entrenched ?untouchable? topics were debated in the public realm, including those related to the King?s centralised power; today, journalists work in a climate of control over the media fuelled by anti-terrorism slogans and the popularisation of the model of the journalist as defender of the status quo, in the name of ?patriotism?. The Moroccan national media witnessed several short phases of openness, which could not survive the regime?s tactics and its adoption of a hostile stance towards media freedom. These controlled phases of media openness were sporadic and could not provide sustainable conditions to consolidate new investigative practices among journalists. Despite a new political dynamism, the great diversification of topics tackled by journalists, and the development of investigative reporting on citizens? daily problems and needs, the resilience of constitutional taboos ? the monarchy, Islam and the territorial integrity of the kingdom ? made the impact of these developments limited. Essential media rights are recognised by the new Moroccan constitution of 2011, but lack clear definition, are short of international standards and are often negated by the many exceptions to them. Frequent legal cases against journalists, on the basis of libel or anti-terrorism dispositions, act as strong instruments to deter journalists from challenging entrenched taboos. Moral denigration of critical journalists and rights activists ? via legal cases based on private affairs or media spin ? is used as a recipe to reduce them to silence and to isolate them socially. The use of legal sanctions and economic boycotts against independent media projects means that these projects are unsustainable. The political and ideological polarisation of the national media acts as a double-edged sword: while it is widening the scope of diversity of views and invigorating plurality in the public space, it is exacerbating the use of the national media for spin and rumours, with the race for the sensational becoming a major feature of media production. Continuous shifts and mutations in the traditional national media are aggravating the fragility of journalists? already volatile working conditions. The lack of opportunities for professional advancement and weak job stability are encouraging a wave of migration to other professions. Today, self-censorship habits are widespread, and journalists fear retribution not only for what they produce but also for their political views. With media investment linked to political and ideological agendas, engagement in support of democratic values is not a priority for Moroccan journalists

Tunisia: winter of politics, spring of media?

“It might be the winter of politics in Tunisia but it is definitely the spring of the media”: the statement by a Tunisian secular journalist disappointed by the victory of Islamists in the recent elections of the Constituent Assembly is very well reflective of the “awakening” of Tunisian media, long-time muzzled by the dictatorship of Zine el Abbidine Ben Ali. The opening of the media industry which used to be maliciously operated by a clientalist system run by Ben Ali’s family and friends, has inevitably turned into a complex reform process. Modernising the media industry towards accurate, balanced and plural journalism, is a tough challenge in Tunisia where, under a repressive legal umbrella and lack of media institutionalism and the minimal protection and job security for journalists, the industry was confined to praising the rulers and publishing their press releases. The legal and structural reform of the media industry proceed alongside the urgent task of introducing new media practices, improved editorial policies and a coherent set of ethics. Deeper challenges have emerged for a post-authoritarian media, the most important of which is the change in attitude and adaptation towards modernity necessary to better understand the complexity of modern media spheres. This challenge has yet to be met

All talk? Egypt’s complex media revolution (guest blog)

Polis Research Fellow, Fatima el Issawi reports on her latest field trip, to Egypt, as part of our project looking at Arab media in transition

Is Libyan media more free after the revolution? (New research report)

Polis visiting research fellow Fatima el Issawi (@elIssawi) has just published the latest of her series of reports on Arab media in transition after the recent Political upheavals. Her latest is on Libya. Here she gives you a taste of the challenges and opportunities facing mainstream Libyan journalists

Egypt's media war

The Egyptian national media coverage of the bloody clampdown on the Muslim Brotherhoods sit-ins and the violence that erupted in its aftermath in Egypt gives even more evidence to support the finding of our research project on Arab media under political transitions

Tunisia’s media spring?: new research project

Polis Visiting Research Fellow Fatima el Issawi is just back from her first field investigation in Tunisia, trying to understand how Arab media is coping with the transitional political phase and how Arab journalists are redefining their identity and role. Not only is there a new political environment, but social media is also transforming journalism and political communications. This Polis research project is partly funded by the Open Society Foundation.* Read her Tunisia research report here. Here are her first thoughts

Transitional Libyan media: free at last?

Muammar Qaddafi kept a firm grip on Libya’s media sector and used it as a propaganda tool for his regime. After the dictator’s fall in 2011, the media sector was opened up, but reconstruction efforts lacked vision and have fallen prey to the tumultuous situation on the ground. A completely unbiased and free media industry remains an illusion. The rebirth of Libya’s media sector requires a comprehensive approach that involves regulatory reform and builds up the skills of journalists