Egypt: “There is no media freedom – only journalists defying the regime”

May 10, 2013 | International Media Support (IMS)

Two years after the revolution in Egypt, the country’s media is yet to be revolutionised, says Rasha Abdulla, Associate Professor and Chair of Journalism and Mass Communication at the American University in Cairo

While the current political instability gives room for people to speak out, it should not be mistaken for free speech, Abdulla told IMS at the Anna Lindh Foundation’s Mediterranean Forum in Marseille.

What is the current level of press freedom in Egypt?

“There is no freedom whatsoever. Journalists write what they want and criticize the president, but not because laws guarantee their freedom but because they are defying the authorities who tell them not to. Freedom is to know you are protected by the constitution. But if you say something the president won’t like and two hours later have a lawsuit hanging over your head, that’s not freedom. It’s a high risk people take every day.

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Press freedom under pressure in Egypt

Dec. 6, 2012 | International Media Support (IMS)

Newspapers and television stations opposing the new draft constitution made by Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi are falling silent 4 – 5 December in protest over what they see as further restrictions on press freedom. Journalist Lena Odgaard talks to two independent journalists in Egypt about their post-revolution hopes for more press freedom in Egypt

Incidents of suspension of TV stations, arrests and assaults on journalists and confiscation of newspapers have taken place in Egypt in the last few months of 2012.

“The level of press freedom is deteriorating – there are attacks on journalists on a daily basis,” says Ahmed Esmat, 30, journalist and co-founder of two new Alexandria-based media outlets, Alex Agenda Magazine and the newspaper ‘Amwague’.

In August, Minister of Information and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Salah Abdel-Maqsoud, suspended the TV-channel, ‘Fareen’, and confiscated the August 11-edition of the al-Dustour newspaper due to accusations of incitement and insulting the President. Both outlets are known for being notoriously critical of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of the military. Fareen’s controversial TV host, Tawfiq Okasha and editor-in-chief of al-Dustour, Islam Afifi, are to be tried at the Cairo Criminal Court for incitement.

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Instant Twitter reporting on Lebanese election violations

Jun. 4, 2012 | International Media Support (IMS)

Tweeting from every corner of Lebanon, election monitors reported instantly on incidents of intimidation, illegal campaigning and corruption during recent municipal elections

When Lebanon held its municipal elections in May this year, the local NGO, the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) used Twitter to foster fairer elections through instant reporting on violations of basic election rules. Describing the benefits of using Twitter, Executive Director of LADE, Yara Nassar says:

“It’s strategically valuable and very user friendly for people who are already familiar with it. And for us as monitors it gives us verification of violations through pictures and reports instantly”

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Conflict sensitive journalism in Palestine a challenge

Jan. 16, 2012 | International Media Support (IMS)

A few wary looks were exchanged as Canadian journalist and trainer in conflict sensitive journalism, John Keating, conducted a two-week training course for Palestinian journalists in the West Bank and Gaza. After more than 60 years of conflict, some journalists are unsure their words can make much of a difference, says Keating

“How much do average Palestinians know about average Israelis?”, John Keating asks the dozen young Palestinian journalists and journalism students attending a training course in conflict sensitive journalism hosted by the Media Development Center at Birzeit University on the West Bank.

Not much, the crowd admits and Keating elaborates: “It’s difficult to resolve a conflict if the one side doesn’t know what the other is thinking.”

Having conducted similar trainings all over the world, including an IMS-supported mission to Kenya in 2008, Keating usually finds that journalists are relieved to be introduced to conflict sensitive journalistic tools. In Palestine however, he found a different mindset among some participants.

“It was very interesting and challenging here because there was not already an acceptance that something has to be done like in Kenya and Nepal”, says Keating.

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Attacks on Palestinian journalists doubled in 2011

Jan. 2, 2012 | International Media Support (IMS)

Violations of press freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territories skyrocketed during the months of the Arab spring uprisings and during its UN bid for statehood

Incidents of arrests, summoning, confiscation of equipment and not least beatings of Palestinian journalists close to doubled in 2011 according to the Palestinian Center for Development & Media Freedoms, MADA. MADA registers violations of press freedoms and registered 170 cases in the months from January to October this year. For comparison, 99 cases were registered in all of 2010. But contrary to earlier years, the majority of the violations this year were carried out by Palestinian authorities.

“There are attacks from both the Israeli and Palestinian side”, says General Secretary of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), Salah Badawi Masharqa, but expresses particular disappointment with the restrictions of press freedom imposed by Palestinian security forces.

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