Egyptian State TV: Let Us Tell You What's Really Happening

  • Share
  • Read Later
Marco Longari / AFP / Getty Images

A veiled Egyptian woman, with her national flag reading in Arabic "No to Mubarak" attached to her back, walks with a stone towards makeshift barricades after rumours spread that the army was abandoning positions at Tahrir Square in Cairo on February 5, 2011.

(2 of 2)

"About 4,000 people gathered here after Friday prayers, most of them were talking about giving the president time to implement these reforms that he promised and that change takes time, that we should all go home now," the male correspondent says. "I'm telling you honestly that these people that I spoke to said that they had got the message that change is happening."

"So are you saying that the view of the rest of Egypt is finally reaching those inside Tahrir?" the anchorwoman asks.

"Yes, the rational view, the voice of reason."

Later, Akhbar Egypt also broadcasts a phone interview with its correspondent in the square. "Yes, I have been in Tahrir for about four days and I saw a political disaster. The Muslim Brotherhood are trying to change the agenda."

"Let's be fair," the male anchor says. "What is your proof that the Brotherhood is trying to control the youth?"

"The young people were very convinced that the concessions they obtained from the president, vice president and prime minister were sufficient, but I saw Muslim Brothers trying to change the minds of these youth."

"So you are accusing the Muslim Brothers of trying to control and steal the achievements of these youth?" the anchor says.

"President Mubarak fell because of corrupt people, he is a respectable man, doing a respectable job."

The anchor quickly cuts the correspondent off. "President Mubarak did not fall. He is still the president of Egypt and will remain so."

Egyptian state TV has come under fire from some its own employees recently for its coverage of the demonstrations. Shahira Amin, a high-profile Nile TV anchor, publicly resigned from her job earlier this week to protest its bias. "We were clearly instructed not to go (to Tahrir) and the only story we were covering were the pro-Mubarak rallies that were taking place, totally ignoring what was happening in Tahrir," she was quoted as saying in media reports.

But rather than ignore what is happening in the square, Nile TV and several other broadcasters are presenting their own version of events. A young man identified as Mustafa, an engineer who says that he was in Tahrir on January 25th has called into Nile TV. "I do not belong to any political party, although some of your viewers may think that I am from the ruling party but I am not," he says, agitated.

"I just want to say that the Jan. 25 revolutionaries still in the square are hostages. They should go to any soldier, up to any tank in and around the square and tell them 'we are the youth of Jan. 25th, the real revolutionaries, and we don't want to destroy Egypt,'" His voice is desperate, pleading. "I'll reach out to them on Facebook. There are many who want to leave but are being prevented by other groups, the Brotherhood and foreigners. I wish we could inform the military about this so they can give them safe passage out. They're hostages I tell you."

"Yes," the anchorwoman says. "Other countries are manipulating some of our youth who have weak minds to destroy their country."

She abruptly turns to the camera. "And in other news dear viewers, we want to inform you that reports that foreign journalists are being harassed are not true. As you know, they are welcome in our country. If they face dangers, they are the same dangers that every Egyptian faces.

"Now, what is in store for us on the weather front?"

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. Next