Crisis Among Journalists Due to the Minister of Information's Proposal Regarding the 'Entity of Websites'

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The journalistic circles in Egypt witnessed widespread controversy and a rising crisis, following the proposal by Diaa Rashwan, the Minister of State for Information, during his meeting with the editors-in-chief of news websites, to create an institutional entity to which electronic sites would join as institutions.

Rashwan cited the model of the 'Cinema Industry Chamber' which was established in the 1940s as an organizational framework for industry owners; however, the lack of a precise description of the boundaries of this entity, and the overlap of discussions about it with the problems faced by journalists of the websites themselves in the same meeting, created a state of widespread controversy.

As a result, the crisis erupted after the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate rejected the idea both in form and substance, condemning the establishment of any parallel union entity to the syndicate, a proposal that had been raised several times and met with a decisive rejection.

Mohamed Al-Garhy, the Deputy of the Journalists Syndicate, submitted a memorandum to the Syndicate Council requesting it to be discussed on the agenda of the next meeting for urgent consideration.

The memorandum addressed what the minister announced with the editors-in-chief of licensed news websites, the registration conditions for union members holding executive positions, and the rules for combining two professions.

The memorandum clarified that the official statement issued by the ministry included two matters that directly pertain to the union's jurisdiction: the first is the proposal for an institutional entity that includes news websites similar to the Cinema Industry Chamber. Although the entity is explicitly limited to institutions and not individuals, it recorded the editors-in-chief's discussions about journalists' problems, and it was covered in the press as an entity for workers; this caused widespread confusion within the journalistic community.

The second matter is a collective decision to completely prohibit coverage of funerals and condolences, with penalties for violators, even if the publication is on personal pages; this comes at a time when the union is facing entities impersonating its status, regarding which a complaint has been filed with the public prosecutor.

The union's deputy called on the council to invite union members participating in the meeting to a hearing and discussion session about the real problems facing their institutions, within the framework of the union as the collective home for journalists. He also demanded a clear position that calls for the application of the union law and the transfer of Diaa Rashwan to the list of non-active members for the entire duration of his assignment as Minister of Information, with the same rule applying to any member holding an executive position, emphasizing that the union does not oppose any legal framework that represents the institutional interests of the websites, but it completely rejects any entity that includes journalists or speaks on their behalf.

According to journalists confirmed to "Al Arabiya.net" and "Al Hadath.net", the idea of joining journalists from electronic websites to the Journalists' Syndicate is met with rejection from a sector of its general assembly, which includes about 13,000 journalists, while others see the necessity of establishing a legal framework that organizes their work and defines accountability frameworks.

The journalist Khaled El-Balshi, the head of the Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate, stated in exclusive remarks to "Al Arabiya.net" and "Al Hadath.net": The issue of integrating online journalists into the syndicate is not just an internal dispute, but a battle that everyone should fight to convince the general assembly that union protection should be for the workers themselves, not for the owners of institutions.

El-Balshi continued: "Egyptian law since 1936 has been comprehensive of all forms of publishing; it defined publications as including writings, drawings, images, and others. Then, the Press Organization Law of 1996 defined a newspaper as a publication issued under one name and periodically, which focused at that time on print journalism."

The head of the journalists' syndicate pointed out that the new law recognized online journalism as a newspaper and similar in rights and obligations to printed journalism, which opens the door for the legal and organized integration of website journalists, emphasizing that institutional and financial controls - such as adherence to wages and health and social insurance for three years - are necessary to ensure the seriousness of institutions.

El-Balshi explained that the Supreme Council for Media can be a partner in monitoring these commitments to ensure stability, affirming that the issue is not a rejection of development, but a legitimate fear of any uncalculated change, and that the syndicate will continue to work on this file to protect rights and preserve the profession from chaos.

For his part, journalist Hazem Adel, editor-in-chief of "Egypt Times" website, confirmed that the Journalists' Syndicate is the only umbrella to defend the members of the profession, describing the call to open a discussion about the inclusion of website journalists in the syndicate's records as a positive step.

Adel called on the Supreme Council for Media Regulation to re-evaluate the licensed websites, which numbered 282, to assess the actual existing sites, expecting a significant decrease in the number after the evaluation.

Adel concluded by pointing out that the demand for workers in the websites to join the syndicate has become an urgent necessity to protect them from legal accountability and suspension, expressing his agreement on establishing strict regulations to prevent non-professionals — content creators and bloggers — from infiltrating the syndicate's roster, along with the need to implement a mechanism to prevent the phenomenon of selling memberships.