Move over

Journalists of Al-Ahram and Akhbar Al-Yom protested against the Shura Council decision to merge three publications into the two organisations, Reem Leila reports

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Some journalists protest against the Shura Council decision

More than 400 reporters from the state-owned Al-Ahram and Akhbar Al-Yom demonstrated this week in front of the headquarters of the two organisations and marched to the Shura Council to protest against the decision issued by the council on 27 May to merge the weekly Al-Taawun and monthly Al-Zeraaiya into Al-Ahram and the daily Al-Masaiya into Akhbar Al-Yom.

Signatures of journalists from the two organisations have been sent as part of a petition requesting President Hosni Mubarak to stop the merger in order to prevent the collapse of the two state-owned publications. The petition was sent to President Mubarak on Tuesday. "He is our only hope," Diaa Rashwan, political analyst at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, said. "We are sure the president will respond quickly as he cares about journalists and won't accept that they be harmed."

A six-member delegation headed by Rashwan met Safwat El-Sherif, Shura Council speaker and head of the Higher Press Council, on Sunday immediately after approval came for the merger. El-Sherif said the council will bear the financial burdens of the three publications for one year, after which Al-Ahram and Akhbar Al-Yom will take over until they can stand on their own. El-Sherif denied reports stating that these publications are burdened with debt. "The aim behind merging these publications into the country's biggest two press organisations is to help them improve their status and turn them into successful newspapers," El-Sherif said.

Angry journalists believe the integration of these publications into their associations will add to their financial woes. According to Amani Dorgham, a journalist at Akhbar Al-Yom, these publications were losing at least LE5 million per month. "We have sold our assets to pay our debts. We cannot be burdened with needless financial worries," Dorgham said.

Among Akhbar Al-Yom's assets are 113 feddans at 6 October governorate which were sold for LE240 million to pay the institution's debts for banks and other associations. All of Al-Ahram's foreign bureaus were sold for the same reason.

More than 88 reporters will join Akhbar Al-Yom's 5,000 reporters, technicians and labourers, whereas 82 reporters will join Al-Ahram.

"The problem," according to Dorgham, "is that nearly half of the other publication's reporters were not appointed, but when they joined us they became appointed." The same problem exists at Al-Ahram, where, Rashwan stated, there are at least 600 trainees, researchers and reporters working at Al-Ahram's 14 publications. "They have been working for more than nine years hoping to be appointed. Now they have no hope at all for at least the next five years. It's unfair."

El-Sherif said the decision was made after a thorough study, especially in the light of helping these publications alleviate their financial burdens. At the same time, the Shura speaker stated, the council was keen not to change the financial structure of either Al-Ahram Establishment or that of Akhbar Al-Yom institution.

During the delegation's meetings with El-Sherif, fears of privatising the country's state- owned press institutions were discussed. "Journalists of both organisations are concerned that this step would mean a step to privatising them," Galal Nassar, managing editor of Al-Ahram Weekly said. "The decision was taken suddenly, without prior notice, without taking the opinion of any of the two organisations' general assemblies." El-Sherif denied the reports. "I am totally against the idea and this will never happen," added El-Sherif.

Mohamed Abu Zekri, deputy editor-in-chief of Akhbar Al-Yom, raised another concern, that these publications, when merged with Al-Ahram and Akhbar Al-Yom, their assets, worth more than LE8 billion, will be taken by the National Distributing Company. "The assets should also be merged, or else this will burden us with more financial commitments towards them," stated Abu Zekri.

Journalists moving at will will add heavy financial burdens because, according to Abu Zekri, they will come with their financial degrees and job descriptions. More than 20 out of those moving to Akhbar-Al-Yom are managing editors and deputy editors-in-chief. "Their salaries will place a burden on us," added Abu Zekri.

If the decision is not annulled, journalists of both associations intend to escalate the situation. "We will strike and we won't come out with our publications. More and more sit-ins and protests will take place," stated Rashwan.

Al-Ahram and Akhbar Al-Yom form two- thirds of the members of the Press Syndicate's general assembly. One reporter stated on condition of anonymity, "Press Syndicate elections will take place within a few months. If this situation is not solved by then, we will act differently. We won't vote for the candidate who will be supported by the government."

Reporters of the three publications demonstrated on Sunday in front of the Press Syndicate, protesting against the "humiliation" they felt from reporters of the two organisations.

Meanwhile, journalists decided to suspend their demonstrations for two days starting today to allow for a calm reception of US President Barack Obama .