Washington Times, 1 Feb 2013, J.D. Gordon: "[W]e must reach out to the Egyptian people directly. News and entertainment programs broadcast via Al Hurra TV and Radio Sawa, launched a decade ago as an outreach tool in the Middle East to showcase the United States in a more positive light, thus should be expanded. Hollywood also could play a role, producing worldwide blockbusters that embrace modernity, tolerance and sexual equality in Middle Eastern settings. 'Argo' was a terrific reminder of the challenges posed by a fanatical Iranian regime. We could use more films like it." -- If the content of USIB is designed to "showcase the United States in a more positive light," the audience will dismiss it as propaganda and tune elsewhere. If USIB provides a comprehensive and credible news service, which is what I think Alhurra and Radio Sawa are doing, that's a better "showcase" of the United States than anything that sets out for the purpose of being a "showcase."

Ahram Online, 5 Feb 2013: "BBC Arabic on [5 February] denied reports that it had carried out an opinion poll on the popularity of the National Salvation Front, Egypt's largest coalition of secular-leaning opposition groups. On Monday various Egyptian media outlets, including the Muslim Brotherhood's official website, reported that BBC Arabic television carried out a two-day opinion poll that revealed that 82 per cent of Egyptians are opposed to the NSF. ... According to the statement, [a BBC Arabic] programme's routine e-voting process merely reflects views of participating audience members, rather than public opinion."

IDG News Service, 15 Feb 2013, John Ribeiro, via Computerworld: "Egypt's telecom regulator says it is not viable for it to follow a court order to block YouTube in the country, and is appealing the ruling. The order banning YouTube and some other websites for 30 days was issued by a Cairo court after it was brought to its notice that there was a proliferation of links to clips of the controversial 'Innocence of Muslims' video, which is said to portray the Prophet Muhammad in a derogatory manner. The country's Ministry of Information Technology and Communications and the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority decided after a meeting that to block YouTube would technically affect the use of Google search in Egypt with economic consequences to the country, according to a ministry statement."