Governmental corruption through the Egyptian bloggers' lens: A qualitative study of four Egyptian political blogs. (1st March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: El-Nawawy, Mohammed; Khamis, Sahar
• Is Part Of: Journal of Arab & Muslim media research. Volume 7:Number 1(2014)
• Page Start: 39
• Page End: 58
• Publication Date: 2014-03-01
• Subjects: Mass media -- Periodicals; Mass media -- Arab countries -- Periodicals; Communication -- Arab countries -- Periodicals; Islam -- Periodicals; 302.23089927
• DOI: 10.1386/jammr.7.1.39_1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-9411

Abstract

Corruption was among the most serious problems under the rule of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Egyptian political bloggers played a critical role in reporting about the regime's corrupt policies which were among the main factors behind the 2011 Revolution. This study analysed a number of threads selected from four prominent Egyptian political blogs that dealt with the issue of corruption. The analysed threads were divided into three main categories based on the primary function they attempted to perform: public mobilization, documentation or deliberation. Findings showed that political bloggers have played a critical role in enriching, revitalizing and mobilizing the Egyptian civil society, particularly in the prelude to the 25 January Egyptian Revolution. Still, this study showed that the role played by digital media platforms, such as political blogs, in promoting civic engagement, boosting democratization, and aiding political change should not be exaggerated or overstated. In other words, there has to be caution in assessing these new media technologies' potential impact on reshaping the process of communication and democratization in the age of cyberspace.