This is a short extract from "Democracy in the Middle East", an essay written by the Egyptian president while studying as a Brigadier General at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania in 2006.

Because the government exercises control over the media, the media serves no accountability role for society as a whole. 

If corruption exists in the government, it is likely to go unreported. As such, the masses are led to believe that their governments are good and are truly taking care of them as citizens. Yet many on the street are beginning to learn the real truth by other means.

The media will be an obstacle to a democratic form of government until it can be trusted to represent more than the government's perspective. This will be an immense challenge because those in power must be willing to let go of media control.

It may be that the early stages of democracy lack objective reporting until independent news organisations can be established free of retribution.

One of the key first steps may be to initiate this approach with the help of international news organisations and pressure from democracies with free press.

  
Posted by Brian Whitaker
Thursday, 12 May 2016