Will government's new rules control fake news or control Egyptian media?

CAIRO — There are plenty of reasons for wanting to upgrade media professionalism in Egypt. A short list would include some of the extraordinary incidents over the past few years, ranging from false reporting that Egypt had detained the commander of the US Sixth Fleet to scenes from the Apache Air Assault video game being presented as footage of Russian shelling of Islamic State and Free Syrian Army forces to hiring thieves to kidnap children to boost a show's ratings. With that acknowledged, Egypt is also known for imposing harsh media restrictions and doing so frequently.

With both tendencies is in mind, when the country's Supreme Council for Media Regulation recently issued new controls for the sector, claiming it just wanted to tamp down the “chaos,” not everyone was convinced. In a June 11 announcement, the council claimed that the new rules are in line with the constitution, law, media charters and UN conventions. The new rules apply to TV and radio broadcast originating within the country.

The council issued 21 rules just for talk shows, which have the potential to influence public opinion. It set the length of each edition at 90 minutes and holds the producer responsible for everything broadcast. The shows are required to focus on current events and coordinate with the state on “news,” attribute information to known sources and safeguard Egypt's image and relations with other states. Channels must also abide by time limits set for running advertisements and provide the council with information on staffing.

Stations broadcasting religious shows must ensure that hosts be knowledgeable in matters of faith, the main biographies of the Prophet Muhammad and possess the ability to recite the Quran using the correct pronunciation. Such shows have to limit their guests to scholars and university professors and consult clerics from Al-Azhar, Dar-al-Ifta and the Awqaf Ministry.