CAIRO — Egypt's media is often in the news itself as it has faced one government crackdown after another over the years. The idea of a free press in Egypt is often seen as a paradox. The recently elected president of the Egyptian Journalists' Union, who is affiliated with the regime, now faces the thorny task of uniting the syndicate's divided electorate.
On March 17, Abdel Mohsen Salama, managing editor of state-run Al-Ahram news group, was elected head of the union, defeating incumbent Yahya Qalash, who strongly defends an independent union and free press. The election results sparked controversy about how much control the regime might have over the union.