The Political Economy of Egyptian Media

Adopting a critical political economy approach and drawing on interviews with media experts, Hamoud problematizes the notion that a privatized media can be truly independent and instead, convincingly shows how vested economic and political interests control, shape, and dominate the media and determine the content of public discourse. The book addresses the puzzle of how the Egyptian people demanded the removal of long ruling authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak only to end up supporting a military coup that established military rule. By tracing the evolution of the media landscape in post-uprising Egypt, Hamoud demonstrates how the media has played an important role in legitimizing power relations and determining which discourses became legitimate and dominant, and which discourses were prohibited and banned. By showing how media control plays an important role in shaping public opinion and political outcomes, Hamoud makes an important contribution to media studies and political economy. -- Angela Joya * Carleton University *
An important and much-needed book, filling a large gap in the literature on media and power in Egypt. The Political Economy of Egyptian Media takes on the intimate links between political, economic, and media hegemonies in pre and post-revolutionary Egypt. Maher Hamoud shows how a political-economic-media nexus dating back to Nasser’s era has been constituted in shifting ways, but that there has also been a continuity in advancing the control of Egypt’s elites. These continuities are key, but so too is how Sisi’s Egypt has shifted to prioritizing the control by military institutions of Egypt’s media. Hamoud’s insights are essential for understanding both continuities in authoritarianism in Egypt as well as the distinct specifics of how the Sisi regime maintains his power. -- Anthony Tirado Chase * Professor of Diplomacy and World Affairs, Occidental College, USA *
This is a ground-breaking book that adds a crucial layer to our understanding of autocratic resilience in Egypt. Clientelism, repression, electoral manipulations are tools of domination that have been well described elsewhere. But the book illuminates why none of this would has sufficed in consolidating autocracy if it was not for the hegemony in shaping minds and values that a tight control over the media has provided. -- Ishac Diwan * Paris School of Economics, France *
Guided by the theoretical framework of the critical political economy, Hamoud’s meticulous analysis, drawing on his extensive experience in the media industry, provides a wealth of valuable insights and sources. He interviews journalists, editors, writers and other key figures in the industry, offering a comprehensive understanding of the situation. -- Hossam el-Hamalawy * Africa *