Mubarak’s Media Monopoly
July 15th, 2008 by Adam
Noha El-Hennawy at Babylon & Beyond writes about the leak of an alleged draft bill that would grant the Egyptian government sweeping powers in controlling the media in order to uphold, “social peace, national unity, citizenship, public order and morals.” The bill, which is expected to be considered in the fall, has provoked outrage due to the vague wording which many believe could be used as a pretext to crack down on journalists, political opponents, and other activists. If enacted, the bill would provide the government greater control over the internet and allow them to potentially silence Facebook activists and bloggers, which have been important in mobilizing Egyptian opposition forces.
Posted in Egypt, Journalism, Middle Eastern Media, Technology |
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July 30th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
[…] and Society provides an unofficial translation of Egypt’s draft legislation regarding the media. POMED previously blogged on concerns that the legislation could be used as a pretext to crack down on journalists, political […]
August 1st, 2008 at 11:56 am
[…] Project on Middle East Democracy recently highlighted concerns that draft legislation covering new curbs on the media could be used […]