Egypt’s Media Syndicate, headed by Tariq Saada, summoned presenter of the “Yahdoth fi Masr” (Happening in Egypt) program, on MBC Masr, Sherif Amer, and Sheikh Mabrouk Attia for interrogation over violating the media ethics.
“[Amer was summoned] for violating the media code of honor and the code of professional conduct and for continuing to commit professional violations.
These are either in agreement with his guests or allowing them to lie or to mislead and insult the Egyptian people, as happened with Mabrouk Attia,” the syndicate said in a statement.
The Syndicate affirmed, “its full respect and pride for the great Egyptian people, and that it will not allow any insult to be directed at any Egyptian.
The Syndicate warns the management of MBC Masr, of the many errors and unprofessional practices on its screen.”
The media content provided is very weak, and is not commensurate with the volume of expenditure.
The statement is urging the channel’s management to review the matter and improve the level of its media message.
On the other hand, MBC Masr issued a press statement commenting on the Media Syndicate on Thursday evening, stressing that since its launch in Egypt, ten years ago, it has placed among the basics of its work respect for national constants and societal values.
The channel works permanently to consolidate all positive ideas and adopts creative initiatives that add to the Egyptian and Arab community at large.
It stressed the importance to present any programmatic or dramatic work that offends the society or its broad audience in Egypt and the Arab world, the channel said in the statement.
To refute the allegations in the Media Syndicate’s statement, the channel denied that Amer “continued to commit professional violations or insulted the Egyptian people.”
“[MBC] group confirms that these allegations are baseless and that journalist Sherif Amer applies all professional standards, as well as the team of the “Yahdoth fi Masr” program, which includes an elite of the most prominent Egyptian media professionals,” the statement added.
The program represents a disciplined and professional model and always sheds light on the unprecedented achievements and successes in Egypt in various fields.
“MBC Group believes that the Syndicate has crossed the limits of its authority specified in its founding law and at the same time, it has crossed the line of constructive criticism to subjective transgression.
MBC Group affirms that it has the legal right to take what it deems appropriate in accordance with the law against any body or entity that violates its rights or the rights of any of its media professionals, employees or representatives,” the statement read.
Amer commented on being summoned by the Media Syndicate after his episode with Attia, saying: “I have been working for 30 years in this profession and my name was never in the news. But in the last four months my name became news although I did not seek that.”
Amer said, during the his program, on Thursday evening, that a video of his dialogue with Attia has been circulated after being taken out of context.
He called on the Media Syndicate to present the whole dialogue with Attia and not to take it out of context, stressing that he never insulted Egyptian people.
