Media Law in Egypt Draws Criticism
Law sees the creation of a Council for media supervision
Egypt passed a new media law that will see the creation of a Supreme Council for the Administration of the Media, a body designed to supervise national and international media reports Al Jazeera.
Ratified by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the law has drawn widespread criticism from journalists and activists who fear that the legislation will result in the end of pluralism and press freedom in the country.
The council whose chairman will be elected by Sisi will come up with a list of penalties for any news outlet or journalist found violating its rules and regulations. The Egyptian press syndicate released a statement last month saying that “The law allows the executive power to take control of media outlets.”
After passage of the law, chief of the syndicate claimed that council will only be concerned with administrative affairs and will not interfere with press freedom. However, journalists fear that the law gives the government too much power.
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