The Journalists Syndicate will hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the selection of chief editors for state-run newspapers.
Five members of the syndicate council requested the meeting to discuss “aggression against freedom of the press” and the “Brotherhood-izing of state media.”
Yehya Qalash, syndicate member, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the timing of the editors-in-chief nominations is political because the Muslim Brotherhood seeks to control the media to prevent any criticism of the group or the president.
Qalash pointed out that the issue of chief editor appointments was brought up first while presidential candidates were being nominated, then again before the runoff election. He said it is not a coincidence that nominations have been opened after lawsuits were brought to dissolve the Shura Council based on the ruling that disbanded the People’s Assembly.
The Brotherhood seeks to solidify control over state media before a ruling can be passed against the Shura Council, Qalash added.
A number of journalists have called for a march from the headquarters of state-run daily Al-Ahram to the Shura Council on Saturday, followed by an open-ended sit-in.
Gamal Fahmy, first undersecretary of the Journalists Syndicate, agreed that the timing of the nomination period is political and said he supported the idea of staging a sit-in before the Shura Council.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
