Abstract
This thesis explores the complex interplay between commercial imperatives and editorial autonomy in Egypt’s contemporary media landscape, focusing on journalists’ perceptions of advertising influence. Drawing on Cognitive Dissonance Theory (CDT) and informed by Political Economy and Institutional Theory, the study investigates how Egyptian journalists navigate ethical tensions arising from advertiser demands—both state-linked and private—within a hybrid media system marked by economic precarity, political control, and digital disruption. Through 20 in-depth interviews with journalists, alongside insights from PR professionals, media managers, and academic experts, the research reveals a pervasive erosion of the editorial-commercial boundary. Journalists report widespread self-censorship, blurred content labelling, and managerial pressure to prioritize advertiser interests, often rationalized through coping strategies such as compliance, compartmentalization, and avoidance. Digital advertising intensifies these pressures via metrics-driven content production and native advertising formats. Despite formal regulatory frameworks mandating editorial independence, enforcement remains weak, and internal codes of ethics are often inaccessible or symbolic. The findings underscore a systemic entanglement of journalism with commercial and political forces, highlighting the psychological burden on practitioners and the normalization of ethical compromise. This study contributes to global media ethics discourse by contextualizing CDT within a non-Western authoritarian-commercial media system and offers practical implications for policy reform, newsroom leadership, and journalism education.
School
School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Department
Journalism & Mass Communication Department
Degree Name
MA in Journalism & Mass Communication
Graduation Date
Spring 5-18-2025
Submission Date
5-27-2025
First Advisor
Dr. Ahmed Taher
Committee Member 1
Dr. Rasha Allam
Committee Member 2
Dr. Nadine Elsayed
Extent
136 p.
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
Approval has been obtained for this item
Recommended Citation
APA Citation
Salem, M. A.
(2025).Commercial Pressures and Editorial Independence: Egyptian Journalists' Perceptions of Advertiser Influence in Contemporary Media [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2536
MLA Citation
Salem, Mohamed Ahmed. Commercial Pressures and Editorial Independence: Egyptian Journalists' Perceptions of Advertiser Influence in Contemporary Media. 2025. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2536