While covering the protests in Egypt, reporters from the US, UK, India, Egypt, Australia, Greece and other countries have been attacked. They are being silenced, often jumped, equipment destroyed, beaten, and detained for being there to give coverage to the political upheaval. Even the Al-Jazeera network was burned down by a ‘gang of thugs”. Journalist are being targeted because someone doesn’t want what’s happening to be broadcasted, they want to intimidate other reporters as well. While the Egyptian government criticized the journalist attacks, Vice President Omar Suleiman said international TV reporters brought it on themselves. The organized effort to target journalist is unique because so much more technology is available now. Before the Egyptian government shut down the internet, anyone could post blogs, tweets or updates on what was occurring; those who had cameras could post videos. The coverage of the unrest in Egypt was everywhere that in prior years probably would have gone largely unreported. But now the Egyptian government, which blames the Muslim Brother for the attacks, is taking measures to prevent the news from getting out.
What’s going on in Egypt is so important right now, and the fact that the government is trying to shut down news coverage is dirty. Even though it has become less common for journalist to keep neutral while reporting, they are still there to report what is happening to the world. By targeting reporters, it’s like the Egyptian government is targeting free speech. Since countries are so interconnected now, they have a right to know what’s going on and those protestors that are filling the streets have a right to be heard through whatever media outlet they can find.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/04/egypt.journalist.attacks/index.html?hpt=C2
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