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The Internet news medium has immense potential to restructure the existing media regime in Egypt. Online news sites offer new patterns for the production and consumption of media content and function as communication spaces in realms which lie beyond existing social and political constraints. This dissertation begins with an analysis of the social construction of the Internet in Egypt. It endeavours to show how certain political, economic and cultural interests and the agendas of key social actors are shaping the development of the Internet in Egypt. It also describes how institutional arrangements, the regulatory system and the communications culture are mediating the implementation and uses of the Internet. Following this analysis, the dissertation explores the nature of the Internet news medium, its communication architecture and its unique capabilities. Case studies of two Egyptian news organizations and their online news production processes are presented in order to develop an understanding of journalists' conceptions of the new medium, their work practices and the online gate-keeping processes. These case studies highlight different methods for constructing online audiences and different ways to approach the online news medium. Online news text and its structural and stylistic features are then analysed. Finally, the impact of the Internet on the mass media regime is assessed, paying particular attention to issues of access and participation, censorship and freedom of expression. The dissertation closes by considering the implications of the online medium for the emerging civil society in Egypt. The online medium permits new actors to participate freely in public debate, and could thus present a serious challenge to the dominance of the state in the public domain.