No you don’t have to go to Egypt. Evene firs-hand accounts can be giving purely anecdotal evidence. In the case of Egypt, it’s very difficult because the events are happening so fast. We are 1000s of miles away, dependent on a lot of different reporting systems to get info, and those in a foreign language. Most importantly, the people in Egypt are aware that public opinion matters, and are telling the story that they want you to sympathize with.
Finally, reporting sources in America have their own agenda, both political but also economic.
I’m a skeptic, so I usually check out a story I think is either interesting or “too good.” At least a cursory fact-checking - trying to determine if there are other sources, who’s reporting it, if there is any other supporting evidence, or if there are facts that place the story in context. It’s just an old habit from the days when I was working on a PhD in history and had to back up every statement with the best evidence at hand.
But then I am just a bit doubtful naturally.