Al-Said, G. F. T., Ph.D. (1994) American and Egyptian media coverage of the Camp David Peace Accords. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the way multi-national issues are
dealt with by media. I illustrate this by the example of the media
treatment of Mideast relations, concentrating on three newspapers:
The Washington Post and The New York Times from the US, and Al
Ahram from Egypt. The events central to the study lay within the
Camp David Period of September 1977 to March 1979, with the signing
of the Camp David Accords in September, 1978, and the Treaty in
March, 1979 ("Camp David").
Because of the media coverage this is an ideal series of events to
study methods of filtering information within newspapers. Since
Camp David created as much interest in the Mideast as in the West,
a comparison of different reports is fruitful. Within Chapter 5I
utilise a content analytical method to discover what biases may
have been present in the reporting of Camp David, widening this to
deal with issues of journalism and the North/ South divide, and
show that media is less an investigative tool and more an anchor
for established views.
A tentative conclusion is an identification of the lack of what are
considered journalists' most valued qualities: objectivity and
professionalism. I identify a misunderstanding in the lay-person's
view of the media profession: as The Washington Post and The New
York Times show, although articles may have attempted a balanced
format, these media may not have been investigative internationally
(though they were domestically). We have to be wary when
extrapolating from only three newspapers to the wider world (though
I studied other newspapers and media) but since these titles were
chosen for their standing and influence, some wider conclusions may
be drawn. The thesis indicates no single viewpoint of developed
media; no "conspiracy" somehow politically to defraud or act
directly for domestic interests.
I seek a perspective on developed media in a simultaneous analysis
of the Egyptian media and its milieu. What I contend is of interest
is that forces acted on Al Ahram, The Washington Post and The New
York Times which, though different in kind, were more similar in
effect than heretofore argued. Western journalism I assess as
operating within a narrower set of models than is frequently
believed.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Middle East -- Relations -- History -- 20th century, Foreign news, Journalism -- United States, Journalism -- Egypt
Official Date:	April 1994
Dates:	Date Event April 1994 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Politics and International Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Extent:	xi, 313 leaves
Language:	eng

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