Media and demonstrations

It must be emphasized that the media-especially the press-will continue to find itself in the position of both the innocent accused and the perpetrator and the victim in the face of various societal crises. As crises intensify, the need to restructure our educational, journalistic, and media institutions becomes ever more pressing, along with the need to unite the entire nation as one to confront these acute crises that threaten our society in a scenario whose title is: chaos. To the same extent that our state-run press and media are often swept along by fallacies, emotionalism, and deliberate or unintentional misinformation, malicious and misleading individuals exploit the situation to blame every shortcoming on the media and press. As the late writer Salah El-Din Hafez said, the press is the easiest target. The press and media also play a significant role in creating crises, as well as in confronting them. Furthermore, the lack of information and the absence of freedom of criticism and expression hinder the press and other media outlets from fulfilling their required positive role. State-run media, including newspapers, magazines, and television channels, have focused on praising the government and applauding everything it does without offering any criticism. These media outlets also conceal many facts from the public and downplay vital issues. With each crisis, the depth of backwardness and the ferocity of the manipulation and disinformation practiced by our governments through their control of information, media, and even the air we breathe every day are exposed! We need more freedom and more democracy, and we need to implement and respond to everything published, broadcast, and transmitted through various media outlets. We shouldn't be content with satellite talk shows, which, despite their importance, have become largely instrumental in lulling the public with seemingly truthful discussions and rhetoric intended to promote falsehood! Even some opposition newspapers are mercenary, working in the government's favor!