Mubarak’s Fancy Footwork

It’s been called “the joke of journalism.” Osama Saraya, the man ultimately responsible for its publication, fancies it “expressive.” There is a lot one can say about the doctored photo of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, which upon its discovery has become a media sensation and a source of embarrassment to the Egypt government and its official newspaper (and apparent Photoshop user) Al-Ahram. Funny? The comparison of the photos is, undoubtedly. Inspiration for online parodies? Done—you can see Mubarak lead the moon landing. But CNN has called the controversy a triumph of new versus old in media—and in this case falls guilty of wrongly extrapolating from Western expectations.

Al-Ahram’s sneaky attempt to place Egypt in the forefront of the peace process was spotted by blogger Wael Khalil, whose blog post has since made the rounds of major media publications. Khalil himself seems to be amused by the attention his post has received—as recounted by the Huffington Post, his Twitter account announces, “Currently enjoying my moment as a famed blogger.” Video of the procession of leaders confirms Khalil as correct.

Given Al-Ahram’s reputation as a government-supporting publication—its directors are officially appointed—one might assume that the move was a subtle one related to regional politics. Placing Mubarak in front of Obama and the Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian leaders could imply Egypt possessing a leadership role in the Middle East peace talks. Taking a step back, Al-Ahram’s decision would seemingly indicate self-doubt about Egypt’s leader’s role, with the paper uncomfortable showing him in the back of the group.

Adding to the embarrassment would be the stance of CNN’s Middle East blog, “Inside the Middle East”—that new media in Egypt can now pack a punch and reach a wide audience, while Al-Ahram is fumbling and out of touch.

Unfortunately for lovers of “new media”—presumably CNN’s phrase for “blogs plus Twitter”—the reality may not be so convenient. In what will be a standard for this column, Pros and Kons consulted Harvard’s resident expert on Mubarak and Egyptian affairs: E. Roger Owen, A.J. Meyer Professor of Middle East History and former Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. According to Owen, this Photoshop controversy is less impressive when one realizes that editing is the standard for a publication like Al-Ahram. “I would assume that every photo of Mubarak is photoshopped,” Owen said. Subtly (or in this case, more blatantly) altering how a leader is presented is more common than not in the region.

Most important to the whole controversy, Owen points out, is the man who is not in the picture: Mubarak’s son, Gamal, party leader in the ruling party’s National Democrat Party, and the heir-apparent to President Mubarak, if the NDP has its way. Mubarak has been rumored to have terminal cancer—Owen, for his part, is convinced—and the looming succession dominates Egyptian politics. With the army uneasy about Gamal, Egypt faces a time of general uncertainty about its leadership.

The element lost in all this is that Al-Ahram’s purpose was more likely intended to encourage those already supporting Mubarak, not deceive a general populace potentially not favoring the leader. While British publications and, to a lesser extent, CNN, have found in this an angle convenient to the West—masquerading biased media is busted and its true colors exposed—Al-Ahram does not carry that expectation. According to Owen, the Al-Ahram experience is just one part of a triangulation Egyptian people must conduct to determine news.

Stateside, we have different expectations of media. The risk of misinterpreting stories like this will always exist, simply due to the difference of cultures. There is a greater risk, however, when events seem to mirror trends we can observe at home. It’s all the rage to gush about tweeting and new media in the U.S. alongside talk of the death of traditional media (still counting down to that one). The rise of new media, however, hasn’t necessarily become a relevant theme in a place such as Egypt. According to Owen, bloggers in the Arab-speaking world are still a rare breed in a place where people listen to radio (BBC, Israeli) for news.

What we see here is a long-time leader on his last legs. Whether those legs carry him to the front of a group of leaders or the back in a photo can yield amusing results. Either way, an octogenarian leader was walking pretty spritely, considering, and the big question will be how his son fares in those shoes.

Egypt’s establishment may be concerned right now, but not because of its role in the peace process or in a photograph. And as to those who allegedly will have lost faith in Al-Ahram as a balanced publication? Owen perhaps puts it best: “Unhappy you, if you are reduced to only Egyptian media.”

Alexander R. Konrad ’11, a former Crimson associate editorial editor, is a history concentrator in Quincy House. His column appears on alternate Mondays.