"Foreign media in the US should get more space in the decision-making centers"

Mohamed Maher is an Almasry Alyoum Newspaper, Egypt, Correspondent in the US. He covered The signing ceremony of the peace agreement between the UAE and Israel at the White House in September 2020, the US presidential elections in 2020, the midterm election 2018, 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly 2018, academy awards 2019, and he is an accredited correspondent to the United Nations in New York. He received a BA in Accounting in 2004, and Diploma of the journalists and opinion leaders May 2006, and a Diploma of the relationship between Human Rights and Media in IAF Academy, Gummersbach, Germany 2010, now he is working on his master’s degree in digital journalism and public relations at the USF University of South Florida. In 2012 he was chosen by The U.S. Department of State for International Journalist Fellowship Program in The US (IVLP).

Tell us about your country of origin and the state of press freedom there? 

The first things that come to mind when talking about Egypt are the pyramids and vast deserts. The question that always follows from my American friends is, “Do you really know who built the pyramids?” I answer them smiling simply, “Yes, my ancestors are the Pharaohs, not aliens.”  

Most of my American friends do not know about Egypt, except that it is the country of the pyramids. Egypt is not only the pyramids, although they are part of our history that extends back seven thousand years. Egypt is one of the oldest known civilizations in the world.

Mohamed Maher

Geographically, Egypt is the heart of the Middle East, and the heart of the Old World, between Africa, Europe, and Asia. The Egyptian Sinai Peninsula is located entirely in Asia. Therefore, Egypt is one of the few countries in the world that has a geographical extension in more than one continent.

Egypt is the largest Arab country and one of the largest Islamic and African countries as well, with more than one hundred million people. The capital of Egypt, Cairo, has a population about 20 million. Believe me, if you think New York is crowded with 8 million people, the situation in Cairo is much worse

Egyptians live on only 10% of Egypt's total landmass on the banks of the Nile because 90% of our land is desert. Egypt’s climate is mild in summer, dry most of the year, closer to the climate of Arizona in the United States. My advice? Never visit Egypt in July or August. Way too hot! 

Egypt faced a period of political turmoil recently as the country witnessed two revolutions, the revolution of January 25, 2011, and June 30, 2013. But the situation now is stable.

Regarding press freedom, Egypt is a large country with many diverse media platforms. After the first revolution, freedom of the media and the press rose in a way that the country had not witnessed before. However, after the 2013 revolution, the state of press and media freedom was negatively affected by the government’s conflict with the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood. Only recently Egypt ended the state of emergency for the first time in many years. I hope this is a prelude to more freedom.

Why did you decide to work as a foreign correspondent in the US? 

It's a long story, but I'll try to make it short. In 2012, the US State Department chose me to participate in the IVLP program (The International Visitor Leadership Program), and after the end of the program, I went back to Cairo with a lot of experience with American affairs; this appeared in my articles and reports.

As you know, what happens in Washington DC does not affect only the United States but the entire world. Egypt is a major ally of the United States outside NATO, and the second-largest country in the world to receive American aid after Israel. Therefore, what happens in Washington DC is particularly important for Egypt, and usually grabs the headlines in our media.

In 2016, I had the opportunity to work from Germany as a foreign correspondent, but I chose to visit the United States again to cover the presidential elections. I was extremely fortunate to interview the Egyptian Foreign Minister during his visit to New York, and I went back to Cairo to be chosen by my newspaper to work as The US Correspondent. In 2018, I came back to the United States to cover the midterm elections. I have since received offers to write for many newspapers in the Middle East.

What lessons have you learned over the years of working as a foreign correspondent? 

As a foreign correspondent, I think the most important lesson I've learned is that you have to be as prepared and flexible as possible. You may have plans for a quiet week of regular news stories, but you never know what will happen. Today’s important story you may have to cover could be in Washington, D.C., tomorrow's in Los Angeles, and the day after in Alaska.

Which is the most important part of your work as a US-based foreign journalist? 

Determining priorities and their relative importance, acting quickly, and maintaining an active network of diverse sources in decision-making positions.

The United States has so many important stories a day and you can't cover them all unless you're Superman. Therefore, the most important part of my job is setting priorities and identifying the interests of my readers from the beginning to save effort and maintain focus. and then move quickly to cover my chosen story. 

Cultivating and maintaining an active network of good relationships with decision-making centers and think tanks in DC and New York is particularly important; the think tanks in the United States are  resource banks for me.

As a foreign correspondent, what is the most exciting part of your job? 

To be honest, it’s all about experiencing new things and discovering cities for the first time. A large part of my passion for journalism and working as a foreign correspondent is in fact a passion for travel and exploration. Let's not forget that journalism originates from a long journey of searching for truth and exploring everything new.

Although politics always takes priority in coverage, and I am a political reporter, I am trying to break out of the political news cycle. I covered the Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 2019, toured Kennedy Space Center in Florida, met some of the astronauts, and covered a tour in the Pentagon. 

Mohamed Maher (left)

Last August I did a coast-to-coast road trip from Florida to California for a month, and I hope I can write a book about that journey one day.

What are the frustrating or upsetting aspects of working as a journalist for a foreign media outlet in the US?

One of the main frustrating or upsetting aspects for me in my work is that some sources prioritize local reporters over foreign ones, so I hope that the foreign media in the United States will get more space in the decision-making centers.

Did your work as a foreign correspondent in the US impact the perspective you had about America? 

Of course, even for those interested and following the American news, there is a stark difference between covering US news from your office in Cairo or Dubai, for example, and covering the story from the field. Experience alone fosters a deep understanding of the US, and about all aspects and sides of the story. There is no way you can write about gun control in America unless you understand the general context and historical circumstances of the Second Amendment in the Constitution. Initiating conversations with experts and average citizens with different tendencies and interests is paramount in reporting the whole story.

Can you offer any advice to aspiring foreign correspondents from around the world who wish to work in the United States?

Find your own angle of the story. It is not true that all angles are taken; there is always a new angle for you somewhere. All you need is effort and perseverance to find it.

Excellence is sometimes found in simplicity.

Don't be afraid to try. Don't be afraid to ask if something isn't clear to you. Believe me, no one is perfect.

Like most journalists, I have been working behind a desk and a computer screen, but I decided that this was not my cup of tea. Instead, I can mix things up and choose to be present for a story as when I covered the signing ceremony of the peace agreement between the UAE and Israel at the White House in the presence of US President Trump, VP Pence, and Secretary Pompeo.

In 2019 I covered the primaries, and I had a really great chance to see President Biden up close, in St. George Greek Cathedral in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Surely if I can cover stories like these in person, I think our aspiring foreign correspondents can do even more.