On the Road to Democracy: Egyptian Bloggers and the Internet 2010

In authoritarian-ruled Arab societies, new media, exemplified by the Internet, are perceived as the harbinger of democracy. In interviews conducted in Egypt in 2009, I asked bloggers, human rights activists and journalists about their motivations for blogging, the nature of the relationship between blogging and traditional media practitioners and the challenges that hinder the efficacy of blogging as a social and political force. It seems clear that Egyptian blogs have been used to criticize the political order and mobilize public opinion against the regime. Moreover, the Internet and blogs are helping to transform traditional journalism, making it less susceptible to conservativism and state manipulation, enhancing political activism and expanding the reach of the public sphere.