Is this the death of print media in Egypt?

The recent decision to stop publishing the print edition of the British daily The Independent, which was in publication for more than 30 years, was likely a source of depression for many in the United Kingdom. But the decision was actually a cause for optimism among Egyptian journalists.

Many employees of Egyptian news organizations viewed the development as a possible solution to their own problems, particularly those journalists who work on the web versions of their newspapers. The Independent’s decision to cease paper publication — with the last issue going out on March 26 — gave them hope that Egyptian newspapers would cease publishing their print versions, or publish them on a weekly basis, to cut down on printing costs. This would contribute to alleviating these newspapers’ financial problems and, therefore, better guarantee the regular payment of staff salaries, or perhaps even lead to raises.

A former journalist with Al-Shorouk newspaper, one of those stricken by financial difficulties, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “I had worked on the electronic version of the publication, and we had been suffering from delays in the payment of salaries. The costs associated with printing the newspaper was one of the reasons for the financial crisis. As a result of poor circulation numbers and lack of interest in printed newspapers in general, the paper version adds to losses incurred by the company.”

The journalist said, “These losses are not only borne by the owner of the newspaper, but the journalists are also shouldering the burden by not getting paid on a regular basis.”