Incitement to murder, insults, and defamation… A position paper by ANHRI documenting the Egyptian media discourse, or what remains of it

Cairo: 28 July 2019

The Arabic Network of Human Rights Information (ANHRI) released today a position paper entitled “We insult and incite and the state knows… On the media of incitement and defamation in Egypt”. The paper monitors 11 examples of abuses and violations of the journalists’ code of conduct and media professionalism standards and rules, committed by satellite TV channels’ anchors and journalists in an almost habitual manner. Such violations ranged from insulting and defaming opponents to incitement to murder, which signalizes the state-backed media professionals and journalists’ growing feeling that they can go unpunished.
ANHRI’s paper also involves direct monitoring of professional hiccups and mistakes made by some media professionals and journalists, such as “Mohamed Al-Baz, Ahmed Mousa, Dandarawi Al-Hawari and others” in satellite channels such as “Sada Al-Balad” or “Ten TV”, in addition to the long-standing newspapers, such as “Al-Ahram” and “Roza Al Youssef” newspaper.
ANHRI regrets to say that such violations have been committed, not only in full view of the Supreme Media Regulatory Council (SMRC), but that its head, Makram Mohamed Ahmed, has himself used the same abusive discourse as well.
ANHRI said: “It appears that the state, with all its apparatus, deliberately waives their mistakes at the same time it is nitpicking against opposition TV channels and newspapers, which highlights the double-standard policy practiced by the regime to suppress independent media and opposition voices.”
You can check the report through the following link: