Despite the absence of an opposing voice in the Egyptian media, fears have increased within media circles after a meeting was held for editors of 17 daily newspapers, both private and state-owned, as well as the head of the Journalists Syndicate. Following the meeting, they issued a statement on Oct. 26 in which they pledged not to criticize state institutions. However, there are still attempts at “resistance” by some journalists who continue to seek freedom of expression.

After the attacks in the Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 24, the heads of 17 private and state-owned daily newspapers signed the statement in which they reiterated their “rejection of attempts to discredit state institutions in its basic choices or insulting the army, the police or the judiciary, which reflects negatively on the performance of these institutions.” It added, “The audience is committed to stopping the publication of the data that supports terrorism and calls to undermine state institutions, both directly or indirectly,” which was considered by Journalists Syndicate member Khaled al-Balshi as a step toward the “nationalization of the press at the hands of its owners and an attempt to exclude other opinions.”

Balshi told Al-Monitor, “The statement includes texts that impose clear commitments on journalists, particularly in paragraph 4 of the statement. The [journalists] should sign the statement as if they were a political party gathered in support of one leader.” Balshi pointed out that in their statement, the editors criticize themselves when they talk about a commitment to stop publishing articles supporting terrorism, which suggests that they were publishing provocative articles before this statement.

Balshi is known to be a left-wing journalist who opposed the Muslim Brotherhood and President Mohammed Morsi during his reign. This makes it impossible for him to be accused of being affiliated or sympathetic to the Brotherhood, a charge leveled by media loyal to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.