CAIRO: On the night of October 9, Egypt's state television implored citizens to take to the streets to “defend the armed forces” from attacks by Coptic Christians. The broadcasts went on to tell Egyptians that three soldiers had been killed in the violence. Today, over two months on from what has been dubbed the “Maspero Massacre” no evidence of any soldier being killed has been given, yet international media continues to report that three soldiers were killed in the violence that left 27 Coptic Christians dead after the military had opened fire and run over with armored vehicles the thousands marching for greater rights on that day. The following month, in November, the military attacked a peaceful sit-in at Tahrir Square, sparking 6 days of clashes between protesters and police, with medical sources telling Bikyamasr.com that over 70 people were killed. The official number handed down by the ministry of health is around 40. And earlier this month, clashes again broke out after the military attacked another peaceful sit-in at the Cabinet building. At least 17 people were killed in the most recent violence. Bikyamasr.com reported early on during the most recent clashes a higher death toll than the ministry, and we were criticized by journalists for not waiting for “reliable” sources such as the health ministry before reporting a rising death toll. It is interesting that as journalists work in Egypt, the reliable sources are not the activists on the ground or the medical sources at morgues, but the government's ministries and the armed forces itself. Are these not the same officials who spill lies to the public on national television, detail events that never happened? Manipulate the truth of what happened? At the end of the day, one must wonder if the media, especially the international media, are not complicit in detailing a false truth about the reality on the ground in Egypt? The military has told the country that protesters are to blame for the recent clashes, accusing them of “excessive force” and calling on “honorable” citizens to conduct citizen arrests on “suspicious behavior.” This, doubled with the rising number of journalists being detained, arrested and intimidated, it is shocking, almost appalling that the military junta remains a legitimate source to be quoted for any information whatsoever. Certainly, it is the duty of a journalist to detail all sides of any conflict or story, but what do we do when one side delivers gross lies and misinformation? A CNN producer got it right earlier this month when he refused to attend the SCAF press conference following the Cabinet violence, saying on his personal Twitter account that he would not “participate in lies.” Nevertheless, his organization reported the military's conference, as did we at Bikyamasr.com, but it begs the question if we should. Our duty as media is not necessarily to report whatever is being said, but to deliver the truth, as best we can, to our readers. In delivering the military's lies as news stories, we are, in many ways, complicit with the propaganda being spewed by the military junta. Any journalist who has spent time at length in Egypt understands the reality on the ground and has seen first-hand the abuse and violence from the military and police. While the vast Egyptian population believes the government and military story of how protesters attack security forces, the truth is different. In every single “clash” in recent months, it was the military and not the protesters who began the violence, attacking unarmed civilians expressing their right to bring about change to the country. Instead, reading international media, the protesters are put on the same level as the military, being accused of fomenting violence. The language being deployed by foreign articles may seem balanced, but in “clashes” that are as unbalanced as ever – the military has tear gas, rubber bullets, batons and live ammunition versus protesters with stones – can it ever truly be balanced? I believe that as the media attempts to deliver an “unbiased” perspective on the events unfolding in Egypt they are playing directly into the hand of the military, telling their readers of unrest in the country that is partly the responsibility of the protesters. This is not the entire truth, in fact, it may not be the truth at all. The reality is that when we, as media, report the military's side of the story (lies) we are creating an understanding of a country that is not the facts on the ground. The facts on the ground are that the military junta has taken complete control of the country, reneging on their 6 month caretaker role and have become the new dictator in town. It is time for the media to take a stand against the SCAF, who have for months censored reporting and delivered a story to the world that is far from reality. We will unfortunately continue to report the military's line on the events here, but if we do not do a better job of refuting their claims, the world will continue to see Egyptian activists as the problem and international leaders will continue to demand “restraint on both sides.” We can do a better job by reporting the truth. The truth is the military has co-opted the Egyptian revolution and run the country into the ground. American ally or not, it serves nobody's purpose to report blatant lies as fact, on any level. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/RkV1A Tags: featured, Propaganda, Reporting, SCAF Section: Egypt, Op-ed
