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The media of Egypt is highly influential in Egypt and in the Arab World, attributed to its large audience and increasing freedom from government control.^[1]^[2] Freedom of the media is guaranteed in the constitution, and the government is increasingly respecting this, however many laws still remain that restrict this right.^[1]^[3] After the Egyptian presidential election of 2005, Ahmed Selim, office director for Information Minister Anas al-Fiqi, declared the era of a "free, transparent and independent Egyptian media."^[2]

[edit] The press

The written press is very diverse in Egypt, with over 500 newspapers, journals and magazines available. However these are owned mostly or in some way by the government, the opposition or other political parties.^[3] Several journalists from private newspapers have been arrested and jailed for breaching laws that prohibit criticism of the President, state institutions and foreign leaders, or "putting out false news harming the reputation and interests of the country".^[4] However, unlike many of Egypt's regional counterparts, criticism of the government in general does take place^[1], after amendments to existing press laws in 2006 which however still criminalise libel.^[3]

On one occasion, an Egyptian court revoked the publishing license for Ibdaa (Creativity), a small circulation magazine for publishing a "blasphemous" poem by Egypitan poet Hilmi Salem. Speaking on the ruling, the court said that "Freedom of the press... should be used responsibly and not touch on the basic foundations of Egyptian society, and family, religion and morals."^[5]

[edit] Television and radio

Main article: Egyptian television

There are a mix of state broadcasters (of which there are 2) and increasingly, private broadcasters. Figures from the CIA Factbook state over 98 television channels in 1995, and 57 AM and 14 FM radio channels in 1999. Pan-Arab channels such as Al-Jazeera are also very popular among viewers, especially for news, as private broadcasters are forbidden to broadcast their own news, instead only focusing on entertainment or music.^[3] The Ministry of Information controls content in the state-owned broadcast media. Egypt was the first Arab nation to have its own satellite, Nilesat 101 which allows the Egyptian TV and film industry to supply much of the Arab-speaking world with shows from its Media Production City.^[1] The previously tight controls on state TV and radio gave way to even and fair coverage of all political parties involved in the Egyptian presidential election of 2005, a first for Egyptian media.^[2] However in 2006 several journalists working for the Cairo branch of the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera were detained for investigating subjects such as police brutality and "harming the country's reputation".^[3]^[4]

[edit] Internet

The government has actively encouraged internet usage, quadrupling over the last few years with around 6 million regular users in 2006, around 7 percent of the population.^[3] The internet is often used for political opposition, blogging and lively debate amongst the public and by the media which can publish stories that are prohibited in the print media.^[4] The Egyptian government does not widely censor the internet, though the state-run Supreme Administritive Court allowed the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Communication to close down or block websites that are a "threat to national security".^[3] However, several people have been detained for insulting Islam, state institutions and President Hosni Mubarak during pro-democracy protests, as well as government officials in cases of abuse by the security services.^[3]^[4]