Press Syndicate sends notes on new media law to Parliament

CAIRO – 27 June 2018: Egypt’s Press Syndicate announced sending its notes on the newly-approved draft law, which aimed to regulate the National Press Authority (NPA) and the National Media Authority (NMA), to Parliament to be considered.

Head of the syndicate Abdel-Mohsen Salama said in statements to Egypt Today on Wednesday that the syndicate board agreed on specific articles which need to be amended. He expressed optimism over the Parliament's responses to the syndicate's concerns; however, nothing has been confirmed to be amended yet.

Earlier in June, the syndicate’s board held a meeting with editors-in-chief of national, private and party newspapers to discuss the strategy to restore newspapers’ “stolen rights” from Google and Facebook. The board also held another closed meeting to discuss their concerns over the new media law, which faced a huge wave of criticism by journalists especially on social media, raising several questions on whether it (the new law) will preserve media rights or impose more restrictions over Egyptian media.

The new law which consists of seven sections specifies the administrative construction of newspapers' high board and owners and defines exactly what it means to be a journalist. According to the new law, a journalist is “anyone listed as a member of Journalists Syndicate”. The new law also lists the National Media Authority and the National Press Authority rights to interfere, manage and direct all of the Egyptian media outlets.

Several concerns were raised by a number of the Journalists Syndicate members regarding the new law. A debate was launched on the ground and on social media between supporters and opponents of the new law.

In the opposing statement, Journalists Syndicate members listed several points referring to the new law as “standing against the freedom of media and journalists.”
However, other officials described the new law as "balanced". Head of Parliament’s Media, Culture and Antiquities Committee, Osama Heikal, said in statements to media outlets on Sunday that the new law sets a number of the needed principles to regulate media work inside the country, adding that the law is balanced and protects journalists and their rights.

Some administrative regulations were among the criticized points in the new law, including: reducing the representation of journalists in the board of directors to the minimum and appointing half of the board members from outside the media institution, as well as allowing the National Press Authority to directly manage the newspapers board of directors and public associations.

“The new law doesn’t allow the newspapers' board to make any important decisions without getting the authority's permission,” the statement read.

According to the statement, the new law also stipulates that the journalists have the right to reach for all the information they need; however, the law didn’t impose any punishment on anyone who hinders their access to information. The statement signers also criticized the National Media Authority's capability to impose sanctions over journalists and the Journalists Syndicate.

Moreover, the media draft law included several terms and words which could be described as elastic and incomprehensible, according to the statement, such as “spreading hatred, incitement, threat of democracy", and many others. Several other notes were listed in the statement, commenting on some of the privileges granted to journalists by the draft law, including criminalizing any attack on journalists while on duty.

Article 100 of the new law states that: “Any person who transgresses a journalist during or because of his work shall be punished by imprisonment and a fine of not less than LE 10,000 and not more than LE 20,000 or one of these penalties.”

Parliament approves draft laws to regulate National Press Authority, National Media Authority

CAIRO - 12 June 2018: The Parliament approved on Monday the two government-drafted laws aimed to regulate the National Press Authority (NPA) and the National Media Authority (NMA). The two draft laws are among the three draft laws submitted by the Cabinet to regulate Egypt's Supreme Council for Media Regulation(HCMR), the National Media Authority(NPA), and the National Press Authority(NMA).