BACK
The press in Egypt enjoys the full freedom to carryout its message. It is a popular authority protected by all the immunities provided for by the Constitution which states "The press is an independent popular authority that carries out its message according to the law." The press plays a major role, in collaboration with other media, in the formation of public opinion.
The two forms of Egyptian Press:
The Higher Press Council is an independent body concerned with press affairs realizing its freedom to exercise its authority within the framework of the society's main objectives and preserving national unity. It performs in all cander and honesty. When established in 1975, it comprised of the following: the Shura Council Speaker, Chairmen of the Board of Directors of the National Press Institutions, Editors-in-Chief of partisan newspapers which are issued according to the law on political parties, Head of the Press Syndicate, Head of the State Information Service, Chairman of the Middle East News Agency, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Radio and Television Union, Head of the Press, Printing and Publishing Workers Syndicate, Chairman of the National Company for Distribution, or an expert in press distribution, Head of the Writers' Federation in addition to a number of public figures concerned with press affairs to be chosen by the Shura Council, and two legal advisors also selected by the Shura Council.
The membership of the Council is a four-year renewable term.
Since then, the council has issued a code of ethics, affirming the journalists commitment to the fact that the code of ethics is linked to the freedom of the press under the supervision of the people alone.
Egypt has more than 270 press publications, which are issued in the form of dailiy, weekly, monthly, and bimonthly magazines. It also publishes annual and biannual periodicals. There are now more than 54 partisan or independent newspapers and magazines. There is also an abundance of specialized newspapers and magazines in the scientific, religious, cultural, sports professional, economic, students, youth and children affairs. The number of journalists has also increased, as the press has become one of the professions appealing to university graduates. The Egyptian Universities have three departments of journalism in addition to the Faculty of Information.