Tag: media

Parliament endorses new press law

The NDP-controlled parliament has passed the govt’s new press law few minutes ago.

I still don’t have details. But it seems, due to pressure from journalists and activists, Mubarak “stepped in” to cancel the proposed article that imprisons journalists who criticize “government officials’ financial integrety.” It seems, however, the HUGE fine that was to accompany the imprisonment is still there in the new law.

I’m going out now, but will try to update the post later in the day.

UPDATE: Here’s a Reuters report on the new “tough press law.”
The law, even with Mubarak’s “last-minute intervention,” is abusive and horrible. With this new press law, and the Administrative Court’s ruling in favor of blocking blogs that “threaten national security”–one can expect The Arabist contributors to join Sharqawi soon in Tora inshallah…

ما تننسوش العيش والحلاوة

Hundreds march against new press law

I arrived in Tahrir Sq 10:50am. Today, as 25 newspapers went on strike, the Press Syndicate and other political groups had called for a demo in front of the People’s Assembly (Egyptian parliament) to protest the government’s press law which, if passed today as expected, is to imprison journalists who “slander� government officials and their financial corruption, as well as “presidents of friendly countries� (for example Bush, Olmert, Blair et al)! Continue reading Hundreds march against new press law

26 newspapers to go on strike tomorrow

The number of independent and opposition publications that will go on strike tomorrow, in protest of the new press law the Egyptian regime has proposed, has risen to 26.
A national boycott of state-owned publications has been called for by activists, who are to demonstrate in front of the parliament 11am tomorrow.

Correction: There’s confusion around the number of strikers. While the statement says 26, other media reports say 25. I’m gonna confirm the number as soon as I can. Sorry about that…

Call for boycotting government publications Sunday

Journalists for Change have called for a national boycott of state-owned publications, like Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, and Al-Gomhorriya on Sunday, in solidarity with the 12 independent and opposition papers which are to go on strike on the same day.
The activists have also called for a demonstration 11am in front of the parliament to protest the proposed new Press Law, which has been denounced by the Press Syndicate as “designed to protect government corruption.”

Egypt newspapers to go on strike Sunday

A dozen opposition party and independent newspapers have announced they will not appear next Sunday to protest the government’s new press laws: these include not only the predictably anti-government weeklies such as Al Sawt Al Umma (whose editor Wael Al Ibrashi was recently put on trial) and the Nasserist Al Arabi, both on which normally come out on Sundays, but also independent newspapers in some cases backed by businessmen close to the regime, such as Nahdet Misr and Al Alam Al Youm (both owned by Emad Adib, who ran the PR for Mubarak’s re-election last year) or Al Masri Al Youm, which is financed by a several apolitical but well-connected businessmen. The bizarre weekly that is Al Osboa — in some ways cozy with the security services, but stridently critical of the regime in other respects — is also joining in, as are lesser tabloids such as Adel Hammouda’s Al Fagr. I suppose that for press barons, it’s easier to allow a strike that doesn’t cost them much then upset editors and journalists.

Continue reading Egypt newspapers to go on strike Sunday

Released detainees debate reform on TV

As I’m blogging now, 3alaa is speaking on MBC, about the bloggers community in Egypt, human rights abuses, prospects for activism in Egypt, and his encounter with the Muslim Brothers youth in detention.
Two released detainees are also to appear on Dream2 TV, Saturday 8pm (Cairo time), together with two Mubrak’s National Democratic Party MPs.
Kefaya activists Ahmad Salah and Nada al-Qassas are to debate political reform against Yehya Wahdan, the former State Security Colonel who became the MP for Bab el-She3reya district (formerly represented by Dr. Ayman Nour), and Dr. Sherin 3abdel 3aziz, Al-Waylee’s district MP.
The talkshow host is Wael el-Ibrashi.
دي حتبقى مجزرة

Yemeni newspaper’s lawyer threatened

The lawyer of the Yemen Observer was threatened by extremists while he defended his client for publishing the Danish cartoons of Prophet Muhammad:

Two young bearded men threatened the defense lawyer of Yemen Observer in the court room that they would have killed him if they have power.

Khalid Al-Anesi, who defends Mohammed Al-Asaadi, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Observer, in the south east of the capital, was alerted minutes before the death threat by a close friend, as he described him.

Abdullah Al-Farza’e, who was introduced later as an Imam of a mosque, attended the hearings on purpose which is just to alert Al-Anesi of plans to attack him by young radicals. “Al-Farza’e heard about the plan and moved to the court to warn me,” Al-Anesi said. “I trust him.”

The two young men, who failed to escape from the court, are detained for investigation. They came with a large group of long-bearded people who fill the small courtroom, where the judge looks into the case filed by the general prosecutor for press and publication against Yemen Observer and its editor for republishing fragments of the Danish cartoons with a huge X over them last February.

The trial against the Yemen Observer was brought by individuals who thought the paper was attacking the prophet, even though it had only published pictures of the cartoons covered up and alongside a critical article.

CPJ on the state of Saudi media

The Committee to Protect Journalists has issued a rare report on the state of the Saudi press:

Although newspapers are privately owned, the state exerts tremendous influence over what is reported. The government approves the appointments of editors-in-chief, a process that journalists say is done behind closed doors with the oversight of Prince Nayef bin Abdel Aziz, the powerful interior minister. In practice, though not by law, newspapers require the financial or political backing of a member of the royal family. Unlike in other parts of the region, “opposition journalism” simply doesn’t exist in Saudi Arabia. While some columnists have criticized low-level ministers, news coverage is typically devoid of anything reflecting negatively on the royal family, high-ranking officials, and the country’s religious clerics and institutions.

Top editors and most journalists view themselves as defenders of the ruling Al-Saud family, and government officials ensure allegiance by applying behind-the-scenes pressure—issuing directions on sensitive stories, banning coverage of certain topics, and taking punitive actions against journalists. Over the past decade, CPJ research shows, dozens of editors, writers, academics, and other media critics have been suspended, dismissed from their jobs, or banned from appearing in the Saudi press. The actions came by government order, the intervention of religious leaders, or at the initiative of editors. Other journalists have faced detention, questioning by security authorities, and travel bans.

The report goes on to describe how writers get blacklisted, the flux and reflux of censorship, the intervention of religious authorities, and more. This type of information is rare because, while easier than before, investigative reporting is still quite tough in Sadist Arabia.

Via Tatteh Aardvark, who has a summary of the report’s findings.

The story behind Rose Al Youssef

Praktike points out that Rose Al Youssef, a recently started pro-government daily, is trying to tarnish Kifaya leader George Ishak’s reputation by alleging he met with Israelis during a conference last April.

Al-Masry Al-Youm reported yesterday on Ishaq’s denial that he met with Israelis at the Fourth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in Istanbul in April, a charge made by state paper (and emerging tool of Gamal Mubarak) Rosa al-Yousef. Even worse than (gasp) being in the same huge event as “the enemy,” Ishaq attended an event funded by foreigners.

I’d like to expand a little bit on Rose Al Youssef’s role on the Egyptian media scene since it launched less than a year ago. Rose Al Youssef was originally a magazine started in the 1930s by the actress, socialite and general sensation Rose Al Youssef, a woman of Syrian origin.

Continue reading The story behind Rose Al Youssef

Miles on Jazeera, AJI

Hugh Miles, who wrote a book on Al Jazeera, has a “Think Again” piece in Foreign Policy debunking various myths about the channel. Nothing much new in it, but it’s a good overview of the facts many get wrong.

One interesting issue is about Al Jazeera International, the English-language channel that should launch later this year. Hugh says:

The network’s coverage will “follow the sun” throughout the day, airing from Kuala Lumpur for 4 hours, Doha for 11 hours, London for 5, and Washington for the remaining 4.

I believe that’s a different schedule than originally intended, since AJI wanted to split its airtime evenly between its various headquarters. I’ve been hearing through the grapevine that there’s trouble brewing at AJI’s top management, with the Emir of Qatar intervening personally to make sure Doha has more airtime. Apparently it hadn’t been made clear to him that the idea was to split airtime between each region, and now, a few months before they’re supposed to launch, AJI has to look for extra staff in Doha to be able to handle a 12-hour or longer shift. He is reportedly very intent on boosting Qatar’s image through AJI and wants Doha to dominate. Well, it’s his money… On the upside, if you’re looking for a job in the Gulf, AJI is still hiring!

The entire episode does make you wonder about Nigel Parsons’ management of the whole thing, though.

Incidentally, I had a piece about AJI in the recent issue of TBS, looking at how it’s perceived in the States and the still unsolved mystery of what it’s “soul” will be like — CNN or the original Arabic channel.