How Egyptian Expats Got Their News

Four former Egypt Today writers, now living abroad, look back on how the Rabaa and Nahda dispersals were being reported outside Egypt MARWA HELAL, Writer and Web Editor , Brooklyn, New York How are you getting your news about Egypt? I am following journalists based in the US, U.K., and Egypt on Twitter. I also read everything from The New  York Times, Al-Jazeera, The Guardian, BBC, NPR and the Christian Science Monitor. Egyptian coverage is obviously more immediate and less objective. Foreign media tells the story with distance, but that doesn’t mean they are any closer to the truth. I’m left confused by all media coverage, especially when combined with conflicting reports from live tweets and Facebook updates. What is the reaction of the non-Egyptians in your community to the events in Egypt? Are you feeling any backlash to the anti-US rhetoric coming out of Egypt? I have definitely not heard any backlash to the anti-US rhetoric coming out of Egypt — I feel like a lot of Americans (at least the ones I know) can understand where that comes from. Current events are met with concern, sadness, and disappointment. Those who have visited know that the Egypt they are seeing in the news is not Egypt at all. There isn’t necessarily new interest in the country; most people I’ve spoken with are, like me, simply trying to understand what exactly is happening. It isn’t clear that this is just a fight between the army and the MB. If anything, the media and governments have further confused the public by wasting time debating rhetoric like, “Is this a coup? Is this a massacre? etc.,” instead of providing answers and insights. What do you think Egypt needs to do now? I’m not qualified to answer this question. I just pray things get better. YARA EL-KALLINY, Associate in Corporate Practice for Burson-Marsteller, San Diego, California How are you getting your news about Egypt? I mostly consume news from non-Egyptian sources such as CNN, Reuters, BBC, The New York Times. Although I would rate general reporting on Egypt as average at best, I find that unfortunately Egyptian media reports conflict too drastically to be trusted. To supplement broadcast and print news, I also follow a handful of selected journalists via Instagram and Facebook and have found their “social photojournalism” to be insightful snapshots of what’s happening on the ground. What is the reaction of the non-Egyptians in your community to the events in Egypt? Are you feeling any backlash to the anti-US rhetoric coming out of Egypt? From my observation based mostly on social media, the non-Egyptians (Arabs) are very vocal about the current affairs of Egypt — they believe that since many of their own countries of origin in the Middle East have experienced some similar degree of crisis, this makes them entitled to harshly criticize how the revolution(s) have played out. There is a high sense of involvement from this group due to Egypt’s status as the former crown jewel of the region, which has obviously caused some tension between many non-Egyptians and Egyptians. Meanwhile, the non-Egyptians (Americans) express concern mostly on a basic humanitarian level — for general loss of life as well as for damage to the destination best known to them for its fascinating tourist attractions. Although Egypt has been getting substantial media coverage in the US, many Americans do not understand the political nuances. Personally, I have not felt any backlash directly to anti-US sentiment from Egypt. What do you think Egypt needs to do now? Unfortunately, Egypt’s immediate future doesn’t appear very promising. The country has experienced a severe succession of events that has been accelerated seemingly to the point of no return. Before the hasty decision-making continues — by everyone involved — the dust needs to settle so some sense of stability can resume and uncertainty doesn’t continue to dominate daily life. The ideal pursuit of democracy won’t happen overnight, but as this process continues with all of its growing pains, all parties need to be acknowledged and included. As someone who has very close ties to Egypt even while living abroad, I hope my current pessimism for the country’s future will stand corrected. RANIA OTEIFY, Associate Editor with a magazine publishing company, Seattle, Washington How are you getting your news about Egypt?? Twitter and Facebook are my first source of breaking news. Following people from all sides of the ongoing conflict means that I know when something big is taking place, and getting real time updates — regardless of their accuracy. Then, I typically try to get coverage from Egyptian TV channels that provide live streaming, like ONTV. To filter this information and to get more facts and less biased analysis, I usually search on the internet for coverage of particular stories by news wires like Reuters, AP, etc. The coverage in local U.S. media is typically lagged and short on details. For me, it is wise to always keep in mind the affiliations of different news providers. By trying to offer a big-picture story that is relevant to the US audience, local reports often are influenced by the US political context and divisions — making a point for or against the US administration, for example. What is the reaction of the non-Egyptians in your community to the events in Egypt? Are you feeling any backlash to the anti-US rhetoric coming out of Egypt? There has been some interest since the events became top news around June 30 and since July 3rd. But, in most cases, the situation is not very clear for many people on the street. Some think it is a continuation of the first revolution, without being clear on what happened in between. Others do know many of the details, but repeat the common media line that goes like, “What a shame an elected president was ousted too soon.” Those who actually have followed Egypt closely are often surprised at how much they miss in the local media coverage — again in terms of details and perspective. But I have to say the longer the turmoil goes on in Egypt, the less intense the interest is. Often I feel people have begun to view Egypt as just another Middle Eastern troubled state, bundled with Syria and Libya. Am I feeling any backlash to the anti-US rhetoric coming out of Egypt? Absolutely not. Again, people are either not following the news or they are following the local media coverage with its narrow perspective. With the lack of details in the news, people don’t really get the scale of rhetoric or perhaps write it off as intended for local consumption. Despite what many Egyptians would like to think, Egypt’s politics are not at the center of attention here – at least for ordinary Americans. Everyone I know is more concerned with checking on me to ensure that my family members back in Egypt are safe. SARAH O. WALI, Freelance Journalist, Kuwait I returned to Washington DC in January of this year ready to see the Muslim Brotherhood out or broken in some way. I had watched my countrymen attempt to kill each other under my balcony in Roxy Square [during December’s Ittihadeya Palace clashes], and it left me angry and vengeful. My conservative father and I butted heads for the first few weeks I was home. We finally came to the conclusion that I could not argue Morsi’s politics because Morsi did not communicate effectively with his people, and my father conceded that this was the error that will lead to his downfall. Yet, on June 30, it didn’t matter who you supported politically, because from what we saw there was no political system. American and Western media reported a military coup that happened with the support of the people. On Egyptian television, the same presenters that had denied the 2011 protests were even happening now adamantly called on their countrymen to flood the streets. My Egyptian-American friends coined me the Brotherhood supporter. I argued we didn’t know enough and I didn’t want to see another group galvanized by a perceived illegitimate violence. I also argued that no one had covered the events leading up to June 30 objectively. The response I heard always was “He just has to go.” To me, there is no justification for giving the army this much power. It scares me to hear things like “the most powerful man in Egypt, General Sisi,” and that the country is listening to the very people that benefited from decades of corruption under Mubarak’s rule. It’s appalling that even those who know that a war on terrorism is just a political wild card used to wield violence as the powers that be deem fit, support the military takeover of Egyptian politics. Our location, our land and our people are immensely important to many outside forces, and our leaders benefit from a quieted people. My only hope is that we move our focus from political events and concentrate on the change we desperately need on the ground. No matter how great our leadership is or how strong our political systems are, the country will not change until the people do.