WHAT'S NEWS IN EGYPT?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00415R001300100022-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 8, 2006
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: August 5, 1948
• Content Type: PREL

. , Approved For Release 2006/11/09: CIA-RDP83-00415R001300100022-1
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"What's News" is prepared to give American readers a quick, at-a-glance,
objective poll of Egyptian newspaper interest; to show what Egyptian
papers are "playing up" and what they are "playing down." Where possi-
ble, it cross-sections the press--right, left and center--concentrating
on major and most influential papers. Topics are listed in the order of
the importance given them by editors... and thus are listed in the order
in which they claim the eyes of Egyptian newspaper readers.
Explanation of the poll system appears on reverse of this page.
Pars of
Aug. 5. 148
"Ahram" -
11 Kotla tt
"Misri"
"Sant el Urnna"
:.IR.n C -ESq
PALESTINE -- King Abdullah t s declaration in Amman:
"I hope Bernadotte will sue coed"; Jewish truce
violations; problem of refugees; Bernadotte
meets Azzam Pasha in Alexandria; Mediator
expresses views on problem of Arab refugees in
press conference...
107
Ah,K,M,S.
BERLIN -- general situation under tension;
Moscow
receives replies from Western cfyft::ls; 3
Powersl approval of 4-Povcr conference; Russia
accu$eu Britain of kidnapping Russian children
(M)... 64
DANUBE CONFERENCE -- dovclopmont of; Vish.nsky
presents his Government's proposals for a new
convention on Danube navigation... 35
Ah,K,M,S.
TEXT OF U. N. ':JORLD MPG';ZIAE story written by
Austrian journalist on "Russian Policy in the
Middle East"...
Ah, K, M.
LAKE SUCCESS -- Yugoslavia accuses West of wanting
Trieste under Italian rule... 11
Ah, K.
U.S. uxgos continued work on reduction of armaments..10
M (USIS),K.
OLYMPIC GAMES EVENTS...(given international news
importance in one paper only)...
Ah.
SIR STAFFORD CRIPPS t PARIS PRESS CO' {E EPTCE on
ECA achievements...
8
K.
TEHERAN -- talks on Irano-Russian relations..,
8
Ah,M.
NE7 DELHI -- fear of extension -f Indo-Pakistan
fighting on Kashmir question...
8
Ah.
LONDON -- Bevin-luar meeting on African problems...
5
Ah.
1945 [70RLD BANK REPORT RELEASED (USIS)...
5
M.
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"What's News" does not translate news storie
reflect the individual point of view of any sM!on or spaper.
By an objective statistical conversion of "headline bigness,"
"story placement" and "display" into figures, it attempts to show
a general picture of how the newspapers of Egypt rate current
news.
To give this picture, every story on the major news pages of a
representative group of newspapers in each language is given
a "point value," based on story display and position.
These point values are reached as follows:
1. A single-column headline is given an arbitrary value of
two points. A two-column headline rates four points. A
three-column headline earns six -- etc. The basic point
value of a story is set at twice the-width of its headline.
2. Three points are added to the value of all stories published
on "Page One"... and an additional two points are added in each
story published in the top third of Page One. Thus an eight-
column "banner" headlirieon-age One rates sixteen points, plus
three points, plus two points -- 21 points.
3. After all stories in the newspapers covered are evaluated in
this manner, the total'score for each item of news (regardless of
what phase of the story the individual newspaper "plays up") is
added, for the entire cross-sectioned group of newspapers. By
choosing papers right, center and left, partisan considerations
in giving prominence to news are "balanced out". Thus, if the
Wafd gives a story banner headlines and the Administration
omits, the score for this story, even though it 1s bannered in
a Wafd paper, will be no more than the score for a story given
four-column headlines in both Administration and Opposition
newspapers.
4. The identical system is used in evaluating the Arabic and
French press, except that the Arabic report, because of the
Egyptian custom of bulking international news on Page One,
and major local news on Page 2, scans both these pages. The
French analysis covers"Page One". The English Press is not
evaluated because only a single newspaper appears mornings,
another afternoons, and American readers can see immediately
the value accorded specific items by the "entire" morning
and evening English Press.
5. "Editorial Report" simply lists the subjects of major edi-
torials (as opposed to news items) in the press, by newspapers,
for the convenienee of those seeking comment on a specific
subject.
tTSIS has "evaluated" the news in less formal fashion for some
time, in order to guide its work. No"Information Service"
can operate into a void; it must know what subjects are of
most vital interest to the papers it services.
Because it has seemed probable that other Embassy officials
and Americans, unable to read he Arabic and French press
daily for themselves, would fid a "shorthand report" of
this sort valuable as a barometer of local press (and thus,
to a degree, public) interest, the above means was devised to
pass along the daily USIS look at the news.
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Subject:
Points:
Pagers using:
MEDICAL CONGRESSES in Europe to be attended by Veterans
Administration officials (USIS) 3
U.S., COLOMBIA to consider proposed intor-ocean canal
(USIS)... 2 Ah.
FRENCH PRESS
August 5. 194 papers: "Journal d1Egyto " "Progres Egyptien."
PALESTINE QUESTION -- Bernadotte appeals on behalf of Arab
refugees; Azzam Pasha holds meeting in Alexandria,
meets Bernadotte; King Abdullah's declaration in
Amman: "I hope Bernadotte will succeed"...
76
J,P.
BERLIN -- general sittL-tion; probability of a 4-
Power conference; Western envoys to meet Molotov
again; West watcher for resumption of land traffic
between Berlin and Western zones...
33
J,, P.
DANUBE CONFERENCE -- development of; Britain and
Franco determined to fight until very end to
obtain best possible convention on Danube naviga-
tion...
14
J, P.
OLYMPIC GAMES EVENTS...
16
is P.
TEXT OF U. N. '1?10RLD MAGAZINE" story written by
Austrian journalist on Russian policy in the
Middle East...
12
J.
REYNAUD expresses hope of British support of a
"United States of Europe"...
7
P.
U.S. REPUBLICANS submit anti-inflation bill...
7
P.
DAKhR -- missing French flying boat believed to
have sent SOS...
7
P.
MhLkYA -- disturbances...
5
P.
HUNGARY -- Hungarians living abroad asked to return
within 30 days...
5
P.
LAKE SUCCESS -- Yugoslavia accuses West of wanting
Trieste under Italian rule...
6
.EDITOfIP,LS
FRENCH PRESS
Are not the Drab Refugees Human Beings like those who were exiled from Hitler's
Germany? -- "Journal dtEgypte."
ARABIC PRESS
Western Union and the Difficulties it Encounters -- "Ahram."
Al Kosseir Revived -- a wish fulfilled after 38 years -- "Ahram."
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>3-
Subjoct: Points: Papers using:
Housing Problem -- uhat is required is a general policy for building popular
homes -- "! hram."
Palestine Refugees -- "Misri."
Educating Everybody -- "Misri."
Ali Knot -with no, solution -- "Kotla."
Approved For Release 2006/11/09: CIA-RDP83-00415RO01300100022-1