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Relationship with nationalism
The press has been used as a medium of expression. The press played an important role during the rise of nationalism in the Middle East. As a participant in political debates, the press sometimes got repressed by the regimes and in other times benefited from the political transformation as it gave them the freedom to debate. For the national regimes, the press was a way to communicate to the people and form a new cultural identity.

Egypt
After the first world war, the Ottoman empire disintegrated, Egypt was occupied by the British and new political rules had to be implanted where the press played a big part in. The Western ideas and institutions that formed the previous political community undermined the traditional Islamic ideology that used to be the political community before the British occupation. The anti British feelings and demand for British withdraw was a thriving topic amongst political leaders in the Middle East. The newspapers would often publish political debates and opinions and thereby enhancing public interests. Plus, with the rapid technological developments, the press developed quickly. After Egypt gained independence from Britain in 1922, the political leaders started their own news papers, discussing issues such as the search for a national/cultural identity, opposing British domination and conflicts within and among other political parties. A new political system had to be created whereby a combination of the traditional Islamic ideology had to be readjust. Therefore, the dynamic press became an open forum for national and political issues.

Language standardization
With the rise of new foreign ideas, linguistic change appeared during the development of the press. The growing nationalist movement challenged the journalist to adapt the language to a broader audience. To propagate a national ideology, a negotiation over language standardization was necessary to reach all. It had a big effect on the transmission of ideas and knowledge as the public level of literacy rose and had the desire to consume news. For the public, the language standardization created a sense of belonging to the nation. They could express their identity in the social, cultural and political aspects of the press.