Egyptian Talk Shows as Instruments of Government Manipulation
This presentation is a summary of a thesis paper exploring the link between the Egyptian regime and mainstream media. More specifically, the paper explores how evening talk shows broadcasted on private channels are controlled by the government, follow a pro-government agenda, and the repercussions of following this agenda. Through analyzing the content from eight different channels over a one-year period, this paper was able to identify techniques and mechanisms used by these talk shows to praise the regime, justify its wrongdoings, condemn criticism, and demobilize the masses. Furthermore, to emphasize the danger of having popular media that is heavily controlled by the regime, this paper uses the studies of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to illustrate how such manipulation of discourse leads to a distorted perception of reality and the reproduction of inequality in the society.
Faculty mentor: A. R. Chamseddine
