28 June - 4 July 2001
Issue No.540
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 28 June - 4 July 2001 Issue No.540 |
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Pressing issues
Ibrahim Nafie identifies the changes necessary to ensure the health of the press
The health of the Egyptian press is contingent upon efforts to keep pace with the many developments that affect the profession. This is an ongoing process. In the meantime, however, several phenomena require urgent solutions. The most disturbing, recently, has been a decline in commitment to the standards of sound journalism and to the ethics and traditions of the profession. But there are many other problems facing the press and its institutions, the most serious being the rise of tabloids and other crude forms of journalism, the growing spectre of bankruptcy, a shortage of skilled personnel, and a lack of technological expertise.
Such challenges are compounded globalisation of the media and the hegemony of western news agencies, newspapers, magazines, satellite and Internet channels. Not only is the Third World unable to compete with the technological and material resources at the disposal of Western media, but it is being relentlessly shunted aside by the uninhibited flow of western information and outlooks to Third World countries.
One tangible manifestation of this phenomenon is the appearance of Arabic editions of major western -- primarily American -- magazines on our newsstands. Their success threatens to sap the readership of local periodicals. But there is a distinct difference between access to western media and western media as the primary source of information.
It should be stressed, however, that although the hegemony of western media poses our most formidable challenge, the answer is not to shut the taps, but rather to fortify the capacity of Egyptian and Arab audiences to discriminate between the good and bad in foreign media services. The only way to do this is to improve the quality and competitivity of the Egyptian media both at home and abroad, thereby enabling it to promote the Egyptian and Arab perspective.
At the legislative level this entails following through on efforts to promote the adoption of the new Press Law, drafted by the Press Syndicate in cooperation with a team of legal experts and journalists. Simultaneously, it is necessary to subject the entire body of laws effecting the press to a sifting process in order to ensure consistency and encourage greater levels of press freedom as well as a wider range of publications.
But such legislative efforts, if they are to succeed, must be accompanied by a reinforcement of journalistic ethics. A healthy press, we must also bear in mind, is a financially secure press. Updating production technology, streamlining distribution systems, and expanding markets for distribution and advertising are all ways to promote the competitivity of our media. But, if integrity is to remain the catchword of the Egyptian press, sound financial management is fundamental. Tax exemptions and debt write- offs for small publishing houses are possible solutions the government needs to consider to minimise the risks of bankruptcy many publishers run, while smaller publishers might examine such options as diversification and pooling resources.
Another key to stimulating the development of the Egyptian press is to explore channels for cooperation both at home and abroad towards facilitating and funding projects for expansion and diversification, opening offices abroad, generating more direct global press coverage, conducting market research and pursuing relevant import-export activities. A major spin-off of such cooperative endeavours would be to foster wider participation in the shaping public of opinion, whether in the national or party press, as well as a heightened awareness of the role and activities of the press in general.
The defence of freedom of opinion and expression and the free flow of information, the advancement of the journalistic profession and the protection of the rights of journalists are at the very heart of the mission of the Press Syndicate. In order to enhance the vital role this body has to play in securing the future of the Egyptian press, I recommend forming an expanded working team charged with monitoring and following through on the relevant legislative issues, developing the autonomous financial resources of the syndicate, establishing frameworks for promoting broader grassroots participation in Arab decision-making, and strengthening the syndicate's role in professional training -- a complex process that must involve both staff and management if both are to continue to provide the service the nation and its people need.
A dynamic and robust Egyptian press is indispensable to the promotion of democracy and civil liberties, the advocacy of the Palestinian cause and Arab rights in general, and the resolution of inter-Arab disputes. It is, therefore, essential to explore all possible avenues to ensure that the Egyptian-Arab voice can be heard above the global media din. Promoting regional cooperation among Arab media institutions, pooling resources for upgrading technology and know- how, promoting the efficacy of such organisations as the Federation of Arab Journalists and fostering constructive links with international federations concerned with the advancement of the press and the freedom of expression are all means towards this end and must be pursued with vigour. Simultaneously, it is essential to develop the partnership between the journalistic community and the government so that together they can work towards the advancement of democracy and social and economic development at home and of the promotion of national and Arab concerns abroad.
The sooner we can bring this programme into effect the sooner the Egyptian press will be able to reassume its place in the vanguard of education, development and the advocacy of national and Arab causes.
As US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in the region yesterday in hope of restoring calm, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was in Washington trying to convince the US administration to get rid of the Palestinian Authority and its leader Yasser Arafat once and for all. The right-wing Israeli premier has been openly claiming that "Arafat rules a coalition of terror." "I think Arafat is an obstacle," Sharon told Newsweek in an interview published on Tuesday.
If this is the message Sharon is carrying to Washington, how can anyone hope for calm in the region, or imagine that peace talks can resume anytime soon? US officials failed to criticise Sharon's incendiary statements; on the contrary, US President George Bush stood by him, praising his "restraint" in facing "terror attacks."
When US Secretary Powell meets with Arab leaders during his current tour, he will be told that Arab public opinion is deeply distressed at the US's position. Arafat, under tremendous pressure, has been exerting all possible efforts to maintain the cease- fire agreed upon with CIA director George Tenet two weeks ago. In return, Sharon, who is now being sued in Belgium as a war criminal for supervising the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre of hundreds of Palestinians, has been threatening a major crackdown if Arafat does not order his people to stop the "violence."
The US administration knows Sharon is lying when he claims that he is showing restraint or that he respects Tenet's cease-fire plan. Since that agreement was reached, Israeli occupation troops have continued to shoot Palestinian children; extremist settlers protected by Israeli forces have been on a rampage, attacking Palestinians and burning their property. Sharon, shortly before leaving to Washington, called a cabinet meeting in which he ordered the resumption of Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinian activists suspected of playing a role in the uprising. The following day, a public telephone booth exploded, killing a leading Fatah figure.
The Arabs only want the US to be even in dealing with the Middle East peace process. Refusing to acknowledge Israel's daily atrocities can only make matters worse. If the US cannot show fairness, perhaps it should stay out of the region instead.
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