Tensions Rise as Egyptians Continue to Protest

By Georgianna Reilly, LMSW
SJS Staff Writer

CNN News and BBC News both report that things are continuing to heat up in Egypt as a result of President Morsi’s November 22nd power play that granted him power over the juridical section of his government. This move was done in an effort on his part to ensure a new constitution gets through the government and is passed. Reportedly, over 10,000 thousand pro and anti Morsi protesters have taken to the streets across Egypt, including right in front of the presidential palace. Clashes between police and protesters have already occurred, as have attacks on the palace itself. Most interesting to me is the Media’s part in these new protests. Several TV stations and News Papers will go off the air/press, with some news papers even printing blank pages to protest limited media freedoms under the new constitution. This seems the polar opposite of what is going on in Syria with the media being shut down by the government. In Egypt, the media is taking a preemptive stand against censorship in a very visible way.

I think we under estimate the power that the media has in our every day lives and in the role of our politics. Media coverage can make or break a story, and gives a slant to everything we hear. These protests in the Middle East are prime examples of the fine line media walks. They are also examples of what happens when people come together to say they have had enough. It’s a conflict to ‘hire’ someone you believe will do you good only to realize they have not lived up to their word. Such is the life of politics. I only hope that this can remain somewhat peaceful, and that the people’s voices are heard.