Witness – Blogging on the Nile

All over Egypt thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against Hosni Mubarak’s government. Blogs, twitter, Facebook and mobile phone footage have all played some part in mobilising the crowds and getting messages to the wider world. And this despite a draconian crackdown on media and an unprecedented blackout of the internet by the authorities. In today’s Witness we look back at a film made four years ago, when bloggers were relatively few and new in Egypt. They claimed the Egyptian government was nothing better than a dictatorship, using torture, intimidation and corruption to maintain its hold on power, and they were attracting a growing audience. Back then they were already making waves – and paying a high price. But they were sewing the seeds of today’s multi-media uprising. We are also joined in the studio by two guests who have been following the development of media in Egypt – Sharif Nashashibi from Arab Media Watch and researcher Ramy Aly who experienced blogging in Egypt in 2006 and 2007.
Video Rating: 5 / 5