Egypt through the US media lens

The US media’s coverage of events in Egypt has been described by some critics as a recipe for killing the democracy movement in its cradle.

The mainstream American media have wheeled out the usual suspects to offer their expertise on the topic – but do they really get it?

On this episode of Inside Story we shine a spotlight on US media coverage of the uprising in Egypt and ask whether their reporting has been professional and impartial or US-centric and commercially driven.

And what about the knock-on effect on the American public? Could the mainstream media’s ratings war be driving them to create a fear of democracy in the Middle East so as to make the story relevant to their viewers?

Inside Story discusses with guests: Jim Naureckas, the editor of Extra!, the monthly magazine published by US media watch group FAIR; Charlie Wolf, a political commentator and broadcaster; and Ali Benuazizi, a professor of political science and director of the programme in Islamic civilizations and societies at Boston College.

This episode of Inside Story aired on Saturday, February 5, 2011.