Media Monitor Egypt - 06

Bi-monthly report on the media situation (March- June 2013)

Al Sawt Al Hurr Arab Network for Media Support www.asahnetwork.org

Media Monitor 06
(March - June 2013)
Preface The Research Section of al Sawt al Hurr, the Arab network for media support, is producing bi-monthly Media Monitors. These reports describe developments in the Egyptian media, e.g. the emergence or disappearance of media outlets, e.g. satellite channels, newspapers, news websites and other initiatives. Each edition also covers information on the environment in which media in Egypt operate, e.g. the legal, financial, social and political developments that affect dynamism, quality and diversity of the media landscape. With these reports al Sawt al Hurr aims to provide media workers, researchers, academics and whoever else is interested in the field of media, with a systematic description and analysis of the rapid developments that take place in of the Egyptian media scene.

Each Monitor consists of the following two parts.

Part 1 General Developments

The first part provides the monitoring results on the latest developments, presented to readers with an interest in and some minimal knowledge of the Egyptian media landscape.

Part 2 Research Results

The second part zooms in on one particular issue or subject relevant to media and development and presents a summary of an analytical study conducted during the same period. For this copy research was conducted on Coverage of Economic news of Newspapers and Websites in Egypt

Research team Eman Kheir Al Shaimaa Alazab Yasr abdelAziz Petrus Schothorst Media developments Operational Research Arabic Editor English Editor

Kindly send your reactions, suggestions, etc. to info@asahnetwork.org

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General Developments in the Media in Egypt

Part I

General Developments in the Media in Egypt

The following report monitors the media situation in Egypt and analyzes the developments during the period March - June 2013. This report is issued by al Sawt al-Hurr, Arab Network for Media Support. It forms part of a series of reports issued by al Sawt al Hurr to provide an analysis of significant developments to the media-professionals, journalists and who are concerned with the Egyptian. The first provides a monitor to the recent developments through specific sections.

1. Developments in the media sector in general

President Mohamed Morsi withdrew all reports that the presidency had submitted against journalists, media professionals and broadcasters, in which they were accused of insulting the president. The Egyptian Ministry of Justice completed its final draft of the law on Access to Information, amidst widespread criticism of civil society organizations. The financial crisis continues to ravage the Egyptian press, and increasing numbers of media organizations interrupted their activities or stopped altogether. The organization Freedom House, in its 2012 annual report about global press freedom, wrote that Egypt had become a non-free country with regard to freedom of media.

2. Newspapers
CAPMAS, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics reported a decline in the number of newspapers issued: from 142 in 2010 to 102 in 2011, largely caused by a 28.2% drop in the issue of party affiliated newspapers (from 23 to 12). International and local distribution of daily newspapers went down 8.6% to 920.9 million copies during the same period, to a daily average of 2.5 million copies. The report also concluded that the number of magazines issued went down 31.6%, from 364 to 249 journals in 2011. New developments The Supreme Council of the Press approved the initiation of six more newspapers, including two party affiliated ones. Dr. Abdel Moneim Said, Chairman of the Board of al Masry al Youm announced the closure of its English weekly The Independent because of financial losses. Rose al Yusuf, a state owned magazine, withheld publication on June 21 for the first time in 88 years, because workers of the printing house had gone on strike demanding their financial dues.

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According to the UNESCO report Assessment of media development in Egypt 2013, state media, including print and broadcasting organizations and news agencies, comprised 54 newspapers employed 27,500 individuals. The report also stated that the Shura Council appoints all persons in key decision-making positions and bodies of these media. The Supreme Council of the Media published a report in which it stated that as of March 2012, 567 newspapers were registered in Egypt, comprising 33 dailies, 141 weeklies and 393 monthlies. These are published by a range of different organizations, including 56 state publishing houses, 62 political parties, 58 government bodies, 68 joint ventures (the main private newspapers), 57 civic organizations and 131 universities and other organizations. Weekly newspapers have grown significantly since the revolution. The report stated that state owned newspapers in the English language are comparatively more independent than their Arabic language counterparts. This may be due to the fact that these are mostly read by intellectuals and foreigners, who have access to a diverse range of news sources. Five Egyptians journalists of al Ahram won Arab Press Awards during the tenth session of the Arab Media Forum in Dubai. Journalists of al Sabah, al Dustour and al Tahrir formed the Front for Saving the Independent Press to protect journalists from financial influence over the media. The front will seek cooperation with the Board of the Egyptian Press Syndicate to resolve the crises of journalists in these three newspapers. Students of al Azhar University assaulted journalists and correspondents of satellite channels at the headquarters of the university and smashed their cameras while the journalists were covering incidents following the food poisoning of more than 400 students at the university campus. Legal battles Investigations started against the Chairman of the Board of ON-TV channel and against Jaber al Armouti, presenter of its program Manchet, for disturbing public order and insulting the judiciary, based on a report brought against them by members of the Supreme Body of the Union of Egyptian Lawyers. Basem Yousef, presenter of al Barnameg, was charged with contempt of religion and insulting the president; he was released after paying a fine of 15,000 EGP. Wael al Ebrashi, editor in chief of al Sabah newspaper, Wael Lutfi, Executive Editor and reporter Mohammed Allam of the same newspaper were discharged in a libel suit raised against them in Beheira by Dr. Gamal Heshmat, Deputy Chairman of the Shura Council and leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, who accused them of publishing false news. Omar Imad, reporter of Masr News Network and member of the Egyptian Syndicate for Online Journalists was freed on May 13, 2013 upon payment of a fine of 30,000 EGP to evade being sentenced to five years imprisonment for his coverage of the clashes that occurred in front of the Court in Tagammu al Khamees on May 7, 2013.

3. Multimedia trends of newspapers

According to www.alexa, 15 of the 31 most visited news websites in Egypt belong to state owned and privately owned newspapers. The website of independent newspaper Youm 7 was the most visited, followed by al Watan and al Masry al Youm, with the al Ahram website trailing far behind. UNICEF Egypt reported that readers in Egypt accessed online media through computers or laptops for about 165 minutes per day, and through mobile devices for about 73 minutes per day. www.egyptianpeople.com started SMS services to publish readers complaints on the website. www.al-masry-al-youm.com started a new service of audible articles via Radio Arabesk and Sound Cloud, through which readers can listen to the articles written by newspaper journalists.

4. Social networks
The Egyptian E-Marketing Academy said that Egypt ranked first on a list of Facebook users in the Arab world during the first quarter of 2013. Out of a total of 49 million users in the Arab region, 13 million were Egyptian. Egypt also ranked first on the use of Twitter in the Arab world, with more than 400,000 users. The UNESCO report Assessment of Media Development in Egypt 2013 estimated that 86% of Facebook users in Egypt are younger than 34 years and 63% of users are male. 36% of citizens use the internet to follow the news. Twitter added Egyptian hacker Mohamed Ramadan to its white hats list for 2013, in recognition of his contribution to strengthening security on Twitter: he discovered two security loopholes in Twitter.

5. Independent new websites

During the period of this study, Egypt saw a sizeable increase in news websites; radio and satellite TV stations are now also joining this trend. www.mobtada.com is one of the first news portals in Egypt affiliated to a private FM radio station. Other private radio stations have also started to create websites to expand their reach. www.masr5.com has started a new website in Tanta in Gharbiya Governorate, with links to Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus; it also had a channel on YouTube www.bel-mobile.com started a website for mobile journalism which teaches journalists how to perform their work using mobile devices. www.gornalak.com collects news from newspapers and news websites and presents it sequentially. It has accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and a YouTube channel.
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www.vtv-news.com is a news site that collects news from different sources, with accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and a YouTube channel. www.hoqook.com also started a news service with audible reports, so the visitor can listen to his or her preferred articles. www.masrawy.com started a section called Masrawy Correspondents, which invites readers to send news from the governorates. They also have a Correspondents Guide to advise readers on how to write the news they wants to send. Masrawy also started a new site called A3rfha in cooperation with @ Bokra company, which offers a new educational approach using modern IT technology. The site includes a wide range of questions and exams in support of several educational curricula to help students review the curriculum, discover personal weaknesses and learn how to improve upon them. It also revised its main website so that visitors can search through it. Seven out of the 21 satellite channels that broadcast on NileSat run news websites, including ON-TV, ONA news agency and Sada al Balad, with al Mehwar currently building a news website. CBC-TV has a Twitter account and broadcasts live on its website, while al Tahrir is only present on Facebook. Some youth in al Minya city established an e-channel called The Channel and will start a program called 25 Sharee al Fan with an episode every three months to discover talent.

6. Egyptian Radio and Television Union

The financial crisis at ERTU intensified: its allocated budget decreased to 147 million EGP, while staff salaries alone already amount to 250 million EGP each month. Director Shukri Abu Emera was promoted to Chairman of ERTU and 82 other employees were also promoted to leadership positions at ERTU. It became known that ERTUs staff of some 45,000 includes 7,000 security employees. The new Chairman ordered investigations into a number of ERTU employees on charges of poor coverage of President Mohamed Morsis arrival in Ethiopia. ERTU employees protested against the Ministry of Informations new financial regulations that will lower wages by 60%. Staff at seven regional TV channels of ERTU started a demonstration demanding fair wages, on par with salaries paid at other television sectors. ERTU officials transferred some broadcasters of Radio Masr who were accused of insulting the President because they had broadcasted news considered unfit for the presidential position. Radio Masrs news bulletin on Sunday, May 19, 2013 was not broadcasted in protest. The Minister of Information, Mr. Salah abdelMaksoud refused to close ERTUs Radio & TV magazine in spite of heavy financial losses. The magazines production costs are 31 EGP per issue, whereas it is sold at 6 EGP. Its staff includes 310 workers with a monthly salary cost of 2 million EGP.

7. Commercial Satellite TV
Officially, 360 satellite channels are broadcast via NileSat, 71 of which are encrypted and the others are open. However, some 700 satellite channels can be received, the majority of which are broadcasted from Arab capitals, mainly from Cairo, Tripoli and Baghdad, with some others are broadcasted from Cyprus and London. Officially, there are 85 websites affiliated to these channels, but websites that operate fulltime, update their news and interact with users do not exceed 21. Some channels only depend on Facebook pages or Twitter accounts. NileSat includes 38 satellite channels owned by the state, and 135 private satellite channels registered with the NileSat Investment Authority: these include 45 Islamic channels, 85 Christian channels, and three channels belonging to the Coptic Church. Dr. Hassan Ali, professor in media sciences at al Minya University and the Head of the Association for Audience Research has found that many satellite channels that broadcast from outside Egypt can also be received via NileSat. Some of these channels are banned by the law of the investment authority because of their affiliation to religious institutions. During the period of this report the new al Nada religious satellite channel was launched, with Ibrahim al Arabi as CEO and Sheikh abuIshaq al Howainy as General Supervisor. The Al Sufra channel was launched by CBC-TV; it specializes in cooking programs. Amr Adeeb, Presenter of Cairo Today on Orbit satellite TV channel was summoned for investigation by the Supreme State Security Prosecution Office for hosting the Tamarod movement on his show, which was collecting signatures to withdraw authority from President Mohamed Morsi. Albert Shafiq, director of ON-TV channel, during the conference on The initiative of activating the National Media Council, held at the Faculty of Mass Communication of Cairo University, stated that his channel is currently being controlled by three entities: the Shura Council, which controls decisions concerning the media; the Ministry of Information, which controls the national media; and the Ministry of Investments, which controls private satellite channels. Within this context, the conference called for the immediate activation of the National Media Council, whereby it becomes the sole authority permitted to issue licenses and to arbitrate in matters related to the media. A UNESCO report revealed that 15 satellite channels obtained their licenses after the 25th of January 2011 revolution, describing it as a media explosion. Presenter Jehan Mansour was fined 10,000 EGP following a lawsuit filed against her by Dr. Essam al Erian, prominent leader of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, who accused her of insulting, defaming and abusing his reputation.

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8. Freedom of expression
Law No. 10 of 2003, regulating the media, restricts the right of individuals to open or broadcast radio stations without prior approval and a license issued by the authorities: the army, state security, national security and ERTU. This can only be given to state organs or to businessmen who have obtained the consent of the State. Nogoom FM is the only officially approved private radio station in Egypt, owned by businessman Emad al Adeeb. Article no. 49 of the new constitution of 2013 states: the freedom to publish and own newspapers of all kinds is guaranteed to every natural or Egyptian national, upon notification. The law regulates the establishment of broadcasting and television stations, as well as digital and other media. Salah Eissa, journalist and Editor in Chief of Cairo Magazine, in an interview with Masrawy website on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, concluded that the rights of freedom of the media and freedom of expression are curtailed in Egypt because the new constitution calls for the establishment of two councils, namely the National Media Council and the National Commission for Press and Media, which is a regulatory body for state owned newspapers and media institutions. The Shura Council nominates their Chairmen, who are then appointed by Presidential decree, which in reality gives the Shura Council control over all state-owned media. Salah Eissa observed that freedom of expression has deteriorated under the rule of Muslim Brotherhood. He added that after journalists had succeeded in gaining more freedom under the former regime, especially with the abrogation of the right to discontinue newspapers in 2006, this practice has returned once again under the new constitution of 2013. Mr. Salah Eissa also stated that he sees Article 81, Chapter IV of the new constitution as most dangerous for the freedom of the media, because it states that all rights and freedoms, including freedom of press, are governed by Islamic law, a clause which Mr. Eissa believes the Brotherhood and other Islamist groups have the power to interpret according to their own desires. On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, a number of Egyptian journalists wrote a letter to the authorities dealing with the media and the press in Egypt, as well as legislative, executive and judiciary bodies, in which they presented a number of recommendations for the protection of journalists, to prevent them from being targeted while performing their work and to punish anyone who tries to harass or assault journalists. The letter also emphasized the need to initiate legislation on the right of access to information, to enable journalists to obtain information easily, and the need to keep Egyptian law away from broad accusations that target the freedom of media, especially humiliation crimes, libel and the publication of false news.

9. Infringements on the Freedom of Expression

The law regulating freedom of expression in Egypt carries meanings that do not have a clear legal definition, and such definitions could vary according to circumstances. These broad phrases in the penal law open the door to arbitrary interpretation by the authorities and make media organizations and their workers vulnerable to accusations of criminal acts. The European Commission described the situation in Egypt as experiencing a serious setback in human rights, and expressed its concern over the official violations of freedom of expression in Egypt and the increase in political harassment of activists, journalists and bloggers, which doesnt conform to the international legal obligations of Egypt. Media City in the Sixth October suburb of Cairo, where many satellite TV stations prepare their programs and broadcasts, came under serious threat from a large group of sympathizers of Islamist parties who blocked entrances to the area and threatened to invade it in protest of the anti-government tendencies of many of the programs. The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) issued a report entitled The organized assault on the journalists as a means to blackout the truth. The report documents four months during which 53 assaults took place on journalists and photographers in repeated clashes and events. Egypt ranked fifth of ten Arab countries on a scale measuring violations of the freedom of expression, according to a study conducted by the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI).

10. Access to information

The Egyptian National Archives contains some 100 million indexed documents and several million non-indexed ones, which cover the history of Egyptian society, the state and Egyptians since the tenth century. Less than ten researchers a day visit the archives because the absence of an Access to Information Act requires them to obtain prior approval of the security apparatus for consultation on each subject. The Ministry of Justice issued its final draft on the law of Freedom of Circulating Information, after consultation with representatives of civil society and the media, and sent it to the Council of Ministers for approval. The Shura Council will need to give it its final approval. The proposed National Council for Information will consist of six representatives from government agencies and eight representatives from civil society, as well as representation of the four most important political parties in the House of Representatives.

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The draft law includes the following articles: Citizens have the right to obtain information and all authorities shall create a website on which all relevant documents and reports will be published. Information will be classified in relation to privacy and the prohibition of dissemination of documents, reports and information in two degrees: confidential and very confidential. Government authorities will be tasked with determining the degree of confidentiality of the information. The period of classifying information, reports and documents shall not exceed 15 years in case of confidential and 30 years in case of very confidential categories. All institutions and bodies, whether military, political or diplomatic, shall abide with publishing all their meetings on their websites. The information, documents, data and reports are available for Egyptians as well as residents in Egypt holding permanent visas, in addition to established information services affiliated to Parliament. The Ministry of Communications objected to some of the articles in the draft law. Civil society organizations also objected to some articles in the draft law, because they think the arbitrariness of the executive authority in hiding information will continue, Also, the law exempts institutions instead of topics, e.g. it excludes the General Intelligence and Military Intelligence. According to the same groups, the draft law does not mention dates for updating governmental data, which increases the possibility of financial corruption and mismanagement of resources. Thus, the draft law protects public authorities and bodies from public accountability by enabling the executive authority to determine what it wants to veil or make available to the public.

11. State and government institutions dealing with the media

Government institutions have had to intervene on a large scale to help media organizations cope with the financial crisis many of them faced. The Shura Council announced that total state support of the media sector reached 273 million EGP, and that state owned newspapers suffered serious financial problems: their total debt reached 12 billion EGP. Abdelhalim al Gamal, First Undersecretary of the Shura Councils Financial Committee, stated that ERTUs proposed budget will not be approved because it includes staff bonuses that will increase basic salaries by 350%. ERTU is expected to lose 3.3 billion EGP during in the current fiscal year 2013-2014.

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The Minister of Information, Salah abdelMaksoud, signed an agreement between Egypt and Turkey aimed at cooperation and exchange of programmatic, dramatic and technical aspects of media production. The Legal Adviser of the Minister of Information, Mohamed Demerdash, announced that the final draft of the National Council that will replace the Ministry of Information will be ready early next year. Yasser Ali, former Presidential Spokesperson, has withdrawn all reports filed by him against media professionals and journalists.

Supreme Council of the Media

The Supreme Press Council of the Media established a new committee for press legislation in charge of preparing new draft legislation to organize the media and to establish the National Council for the Press and the Media. The Council issued its post January 25 revolution report on Professional Practice of Egyptian Newspapers. The report states that all the newspapers analyzed, regardless of their ownership or political orientation, have strongly violated professional and ethical standards to varying degrees. Privately owned newspapers violated professional and ethical standards most, followed by party affiliated newspapers, while the three state owned newspapers scored highest in their commitment to the standards, with al Ahram newspaper on top. The report was strongly criticized by the media community, and many of its conclusions and recommendations were seen as biased and unscientific. The Councils Secretary General, Mohamed Negm, announced that the Ministry of Finance had allocated 35 million EGP of the new budget to finance an increase in the training & technology allowance of journalist syndicate members, and an increase in staff incentives of media organizations. The Secretary General also demanded the Ministry of Finance allocate 67 million EGP for the payment of end-of-service benefits to journalists working for state owned media organization that were halted two and a half years ago. The Supreme Council of the Media approved licenses for several new newspapers, including Rayah, al Amrakamy, Asrar al Mashaheer and Afaq Handassyah and two newspapers of the al Ghad al Thawra party, one of them a daily newspaper. The Council also approved the license of Nile Valley magazine, affiliated to the Dar al Marf foundation; 2 million EGP in support for the Dar al Hilal foundation and 750 Million EGP to the Rose al Yussuf foundation for staff salaries. The Supreme Council of the Media promised to notify the Press Syndicate of any new licenses, whether from the Council itself or from foreign authorities, so that the syndicate could lobby these new media organizations to hire staff from some of the privately owned and party affiliated newspapers that had been closed down.

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12. Journalism Syndicates

According to the UNESCO report Assessment of Media Development in Egypt, just over two-thirds of Press Syndicate members are female. This proportion drops dramatically if one looks at the number of senior positions held by women. In 2011, there were only two female editors-in-chief, representing less than one-half of one per cent of the total number of editors-in-chief. Gamal Fahmy, First Undersecretary of the Egyptian Press Syndicate, declared that the Muslim Brotherhood had filed more than 600 reports with the Attorney General against journalists and media professionals until May 2013. The NGO Freedom House in its recent report stated that: The setback in the freedom of the press is a disturbing indicator of the state of democracy and sheds light on the need for vigilance in pushing and protecting newspaper independent. Charges were brought against Gamal Fahmy, First Undersecretary of the Egyptian Press Syndicate in a report filed by President Mohamed Morsi, in which he accused Fahmy of spreading false news that could harm national security. The Board of the Egyptian Press Syndicate in a press release pledged its support of the journalists of privately owned newspaper al Dustour after negotiations between the Syndicate and the newspapers administration over salary payments failed. The Syndicate blamed the administration of the newspaper for its unwillingness to give journalists their rights. The Press Syndicate Board decided to suspend registration of al Dustour until the current crisis is resolved. The Press Syndicate approved the registration of two newspapers: the Freedom and Justice party affiliated daily newspaper and Vito newspaper. The registration of five other newspapers was postponed, pending new registration procedures for syndicate membership applications. The Egyptian Press Syndicate created an award for Outstanding Journalistic Performance, named after Husseiny abu Daif, a journalist/ photographer who died covering the riots at the Presidential Palace of December 5, 2012. The syndicate accused the Muslim Brotherhood Group of killing Husseiny. The award will honor journalists/ syndicate members under the age of 35 years for covering dangerous events. The 10,000 EGP award was given to Husseiny abu Daifs colleagues of al Fajr newspaper where he worked. The Independent Syndicate for Media Professionals celebrated its first anniversary on May 27, 2013, although it had not yet obtained legal recognition. Its Facebook page has had about 2,065 visitors. Dr. Mohamed Bassouni, adviser of the Independent Syndicate for Media Professionals, said that the number of violations and assaults against media professionals had reached 1200, whether verbal, physical, or inciting hatred and grudges, in addition to 26 mass assaults or sieges on the media facilities. The Egyptian Syndicate for Online Journalists (www.eojs.org) was established on March 26, 2011 under a new law on syndicate freedom. The Radio and TV Announcers Syndicate is also currently being created.
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The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), in cooperation with the Federation of Arab Journalists organized a workshop on Developing a legal framework for the creation of the Arab journalists syndicate. The legal and the regulatory basis of syndicate work were reviewed and assessed for their potential suitability for media and journalists in the Arab world.

13. Activities of civil society organizations related to the media

Civil society organizations have been actively documenting infringements of freedom of expression and physical attacks on media and media workers. During the period under study many studies and reports were published. HRDO, Human Rights Documentation Organization Center for support of digital freedom of expression, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day released a video on YouTube with examples of violations against journalists that prevent them from doing their work. The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) issued a report entitled Maspero during the rule of the first elected president; violations and unwelcome reforms. It reports on violations against the staff of the Egyptian Radio and TV Union during the first months of the rule of President Mohamed Morsi and the Minister of Information, Salah abdelMaqsoud. ANHRI also issued a report on media performance during the presidential elections and the handover of power in Egypt in two stages: the presidential elections (May-June 2012), during which five satellite channels and ten newspapers were monitored, and the post presidential election period, during which ten news websites, five religious satellite channels and five sport satellite channels were monitored. In its annual report the international NGO Reporters without Borders criticized the Muslim Brotherhood and expressed its concern regarding press freedom in Egypt. The criticisms included the Muslim Brotherhoods decision to change the chief editors of the public newspapers to people allied with the Muslim Brotherhood, according to the report. It also criticized the accusations that have been pressed against Egyptian journalists, in particular those related to insulting the president or Islam. The Support for Information Technology Center issued a second annual report entitled Violations of Media Freedom in Egypt 2012 as part of a series of reports on media independence. The report documents 185 violations against media professionals and 17 against media organization or foundations, with the largest number of violations against media professionals taking place during December 2012. Reporters without Borders added the Muslim Brotherhood to its new list of Predators of the Freedom of Information, which includes the names of 39 presidents and politicians. The Swedish section of Reporters without Borders awarded Wael Ghoniem, the Executive Director of Google Middle East, with its annual Press Freedom Award 2013, because of his courageous use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, as an important source of inspiration for the Egyptian movement for democracy.
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Part II
Readership of Economic news in Egyptian printed newspapers

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Introduction:
Raising the awareness of readers by explaining and interpreting news in accordance with their social and educational backgrounds is generally considered an important role of the media. However newspapers in Egypt often pay no attention to this role and limit themselves to providing information only. This is the case with all types and sections of the press, and economic sections of newspapers form no exception, even though the nature of many of the issues presented makes additional or background explanation and interpretation necessary. Recognizing the importance of economic news, particularly during the current stage of the countrys history, al Sawt al Hurr, the Arabic Network for Media Support, conducted this study to find answers to the following questions: How do Egyptian citizens view the economic news that is presented to them in the media? What economic news do readers like or prefer to read, and what are their reading habits? What reasons do readers have for not reading economic news or for skipping the economic news sections of their papers? This study also includes the views of journalists who write economic news and/or contribute to the economic sections of newspapers. How do they develop their capacities? What guidance do they get from the organizations they work for to develop themselves further? And what are the opinions of the consumers and producers of economic news when it comes to the quality of economic reporting? This study complements an earlier study conducted by al Sawt al Hurr, presented in MediaMonitor 5 of May 2013, which aimed to monitor and analyze the coverage of economic news and to assess the extent to which the economic press plays its role in explaining and interpreting economic implications and terminology in addition to relevant economic decisions to nonspecialized readers. Al Sawt al Hurr seeks through the findings of the two studies to present the full picture of the nature of economic coverage in Egypt regarding its form and content in addition to the characteristics of the readers of such content in order to contribute to aims to improve both quality and interest in economic news. This study surveyed a sample of 400 citizens from the greater Cairo region (Cairo, Giza and Qaliubiya), all of them readers of national newspapers. 385 responses were deemed valid and included in the statistical analysis. A second questionnaire was sent electronically, using Google-docs, to 90 economic journalists and heads of section. Sixty journalists answered the questionnaire and sent it back.

Main findings of the study

1. About two-thirds (72.4%) of the newspaper readers who participated in this study were interested in economic news and said they followed it. One third of the respondents (27.4%) stated that they were not interested and did not follow economic news. 2. The study asked readers who were interested in economic news how they followed the economic crisis that Egypt has been facing this year. A slightly larger number of
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respondents cited that they followed economic news on TV (64.4%) than those who followed it in print media (60.4%) and they also followed news on TV more regularly. However newspapers were still preferred to websites, and to TV programs and newspapers that specialize in economic news. Readers followed a wide range of topics, with the fuel crisis, rising prices and riots and work strikes ranking only slightly higher than other economic issues. 3. When asked for their reasons for reading economic news, 66.7% of readers answered that they wanted to obtain news on economic developments and events because these directly affect their own lives and those of all citizens in the country. A small group of readers responded that their interest was work-related (0.8%), business-oriented (0.7%) or that they followed simply out of habit (0.3%). 4. Most readers who followed economic news did not read all the news. Half of them (51%) only read the headline and part of the article; 21.9% read only the headlines and only 26.3% of readers read the articles from beginning to end. Several reasons were given for not reading the entirety of economic articles: the headline gives sufficient information (28.1%); time constraints (12.7%); lack of interest (12.2%); the style of writing is not attractive (16.6%); and economic language is difficult to understand (9.1%). Readers who did read all of the economic articles did so because of a strong general or personal interest in that particular news topic (58%) and because the style was attractive (21.3%). 5. The opinion of respondents on the way economic news is covered was generally negative. Only 9.4% of readers agreed with the statement that economic news gives an explanation and interpretation of specific economic expressions, while 35.1% disagreed. Only 11.2% of readers agreed that economic news is accurate, neutral and objective, while more than 24% disagreed. 39.5% of readers agreed that the coverage of economic news is not given the attention that reflects the importance of economic developments and decisions on the life of citizens, while (9.9%) disagreed with the statement. 6. Respondents suggested many reasons that might discourage readers from following economic news: complicated language used; inaccuracy of information; lack of expertise of journalists and no commitment to neutrality and objectivity were the most frequently mentioned. 7. Readers who did not follow economic news (27.8%) mentioned the gap between the way news is covered and the economic reality of ordinary citizens (19.5%); the boring presentation of news of ministries and companies (18.7%); the lack of accuracy of information (17.4%); and the lack of information that directly affects the readers daily life (15.9%). If the quality of reporting were improved, 42% of this group would consider reading economic news, whereas 58% said it would not change its mind. 8. Although this was not investigated in detail, the impression was obtained that all readers were more likely to follow economic news when it was published on the front or general news pages, while more readers tended to skip the economic pages or sections of newspapers. The journalists who participated in this study were divided almost evenly concerning where to publish economic news: 81.7% agreed that there should be a fixed page for economic news; 80% agreed that economic news should be published on any
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page of the newspaper, according to its importance, and 65% agreed that the main economic news should be put on the front page. 9. Economic journalists and heads of section responded that raising awareness of their readers on important economic developments and events is the main objective of covering economic news in their newspapers (83.3%). Helping readers understand economic developments was another motive mentioned (80.0%). Most of the journalist respondents stated that their organizations saw their economic news sections as very important (63.8%) or somewhat important (15%). 10. al Borsa and al Mal were ranked as the best daily newspapers specializing in economic news, according to journalists who participated in this study, with al Shuruq non-specialized newspaper in second place (18.3%) and al Alam al Youm economic daily newspaper in third place (11.7%). 11. Results of this study show that almost half of the journalists of the sample (41.7%) were not satisfied with the quality of economic news in printed newspapers, while the remaining 56.7% were somewhat satisfied; only one respondent said that he was satisfied with the level of economic coverage. Readers and economic journalists in the sample agreed that lack of accuracy in numbers; the lack of explanation of news and economic terms and the boring way of presenting news from ministries and companies were the most important shortcomings in economic reporting. The lack of analysis and of linkages between economic news and the daily life of ordinary citizens was also frequently mentioned. 12. In order to overcome these shortcomings and in an attempt to attract more readers to follow economic news, journalists offered many suggestions: Meet the needs of the readers (95%); Depend on editors with a wide knowledge of the economy (83.3%); Simplify the language used (76.7%); and Conduct scientific studies on specific aspects of economic news and on the needs and the interests of readers (75%) ranked highest.

Newspapers read by respondents

Among the newspapers read, al Masry al Youm came out as the most read. Not only is it being read most regularly (by 32.2% of respondents), it also scored lowest in terms of not being read (30.6%). al Ahram came in second place, followed by Youm7.

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Chart (1): Newspapers read by respondents

(*) Note: The data has been arranged in the chart according to the highest values obtained for ease of comprehension.

Six respondents (1.6%) also named al Dustour, al Mogaz, Vito and al Ahly magazine as sources of information. Findings on this chart are in line with several previous studies on the readership of newspapers, especially in relation to the positions of al Masry al Youm and al Ahram. Chart (2): Newspapers specializing in economic news read by respondents

Of the daily newspapers that present only economic news, al Boursa comes in first place, followed by al Ahram al Iqtisady and al Mal. Four respondents (1%) also named other newspapers or magazines: al Alam al Youm and the British The Economist.
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Media which respondents followed on this years economic crisis

Chart (3): Mass media followed by respondents during the economic crisis

The survey shows that the most respondents followed economic news and programs on TV during the economic crisis: TV was watched the most regularly (by 17.7% of respondents) and the score for non-watching was the lowest (25.7%). Newspapers came in second place and were preferred to websites, TV programs and newspapers that specialize in economic news. Readers followed a wide range of topics, with the fuel crisis, rising prices and riots and work strikes ranking only slightly higher than the other issues.

Economic subjects that respondents are interested in

Chart (4): Economic subjects that respondents are interested in

(*) It is worth mentioning that for this question, respondents were able to choose more than one answer.
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The fuel crisis came in first place, and was very closely followed by rising prices and riots and workers strikes. A small group of five respondents (1.3%) named other subjects, including Properties & contracting, Specialized economic studies, Governance of banking institutions, Property and economic activities of the Army, Government investment, International Stock Markets, e.g. Gulf countries and the Prices of mineral resources

Readers habits

Regarding the reading habits of participants in the sample study, the majority of respondents preferred to read their newspapers in the morning (42.3%), while another 31.4% read their papers whenever they had free time. The average time spent on reading newspapers varied from less than an hour (41.3%) to having no time limit for reading the preferred newspaper. The preferred place for reading newspapers was at home for 61.6% of the respondents, at work for 33.8% and while using transport for 16.9% of the respondents. The majority of respondents (72.7%) started with reading the news on the front page. 14.3% started with reading various specific sections, while the remaining 12.7% started with the back page. Respondents also named their preferred news sections: 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- Sports news (20 respondents) Accidents news (13 respondents) Arts & Entertainment news (9 respondents) Political news (8 respondents) Your luck today (2 respondents) Opinion page articles (1 respondent)

It is interesting to note that the economic news section was not mentioned in this part of the survey. When asked if they discussed news from the newspapers with others, 93 respondents (24.2%) always discussed news, 150 respondents (49.4%) sometimes discussed news, and 56 respondents (14.5%) didnt discuss what they read in the newspapers. Readers who liked to discuss the news preferred to do so with friends (53%), with colleagues (51.1%) and with family (40%). A small group of respondents (2.3%) discussed the news with their bosses at work and with people they didnt know on the social networks (Facebook and Twitter).

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Reasons for following economic news

The study sought to discover the motivations for respondents to read economic news. The results of the survey are set out in the following chart: Chart (5): Respondents reasons for reading the economic news Reasons for following economic news
Because the economy has an impact on daily life and my life as a citizen To obtain economic information on the latest economic developments and events The nature of my work requires me to follow economic news To know about new investment opportunities inside the country and abroad To obtain a thorough analysis of the economy Out of habit N278 = (*) The respondents could choose more than one alternative F 143 114 31 26 19 13 % 37.1 29.6 8.1 6.8 4.9 3.4

The most popular reasons that respondents gave for reading economic news were the economy has an impact on daily life (37.1%), to obtain economic information on economic developments (29.6%) and my work requires me to follow this news (6.8%). The way respondents read economic news This study collected information on how the 278 respondents who read economic news did so: 73 respondents (26.3%) read the entire news; 144 read the headline and part of the news (51.8%); and 61 respondents only read the headline (21.9%). The following chart shows the reasons why some readers did not read economic news in full: Chart (6): Respondents reasons for not reading economic news in full Reasons for not reading economic news in full
Because the headline sufficiently covers the news The style of writing the news doesnt attract me Time constraints Lack of interest in the specific topic of the article I dont understand the economic expressions used in the news N= 278 F 108 64 49 47 35 % 28.1 16.6 12.7 12.2 9.1

The study shows that the headline is sufficient to know the news comes in the first place (28.1%), and the the style of writing is not attractive comes in second place (16.6%), followed by time constraints (12.7%).

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Regarding what made the respondents read economic topics in full, the reasons were as follows: Chart (7): Respondents reasons for reading economic news in full Motives for reading economic news in full
F % 29.9 28.1 21.3 17.7 9.9 6.8

Interested in the subject of the news 115 The news was directly linked to a personal interest of the 108 reader The style of the editor attracted the reader 82 The subject was serious and unique The news was presented in a prominent place and form It was the habit to read the full newspaper N278 = 68 38 26

(*) The respondents could choose more than one alternative

This chart shows that the most popular reason for reading the economic news in full was the respondents interest in economic news, for 29.9% of respondents. The second reason, the news is linked directly to an interest of the respondent, followed very closely at 28.1%, while the style of the editor is attractive came in third place at 21.3%. After that, The subject is serious and unique was named by 17.7% of respondents, followed by the economic news is in a prominent place and form, named by 9.9% of respondents, and finally it is my habit to read the full newspaper by 6.8% of respondents.

Respondents opinions on the way economic news is covered

Chart (8): Respondents opinions on economic coverage Characteristics of economic coverage
The coverage is characterized by providing explanations and interpretations of economic terms and concepts The coverage is characterized by accuracy The coverage is characterized by neutrality and objectivity Disagree F % 36 43 43 9.4 11.2 11.2 39.5 Neutral F % 107 121 141 87 27.8 31.4 36.6 22.6 Agree F % 135 114 94 38 35.1 29.6 24.4 9.9

The coverage is not given the attention that it should have given the importance of the 152 economy to the life of citizens N = 278

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Respondents opinions on the way economic news is covered were largely negative: the statement economic news provides explanations and interpretations only received a 9.4% approval rate, whereas 35.1% disagreed with the statement. 29.4% of readers also disagreed with the statement the economic coverage is accurate. The statement that economic press is neutral and objectives got an approval rate of 24.4%, while 11.2% disagreed. The final statement, the coverage does not give economic news the attention it should get given its relative impact and importance was agreed with by 39.5% of readers, and disagreed with by 9.9%. Regarding the attention paid to the sources of economic news, 200 respondents (51.9%) answered that they paid attention to the sources of the information, while 78 respondents (20.3%) said they didnt care. Readers opinions on the quality of economic news reporting Respondents were asked to give their opinions in response to an open question on the quality of economic news reporting and its potential (negative) effect on the interest of the public in following economic news in newspapers. 133 respondents (34.5%) answered that economic reporting has the following shortcomings: - Economic terms and jargon are difficult to understand (34 respondents); - Information is inaccurate (25 respondents); - Journalists lack experience and expertise, which makes their work unattractive and boring most of the time (21 respondents); - Information lacks neutrality and objectivity (16 respondents); - Information is not clear enough, so readers fail to understand it (12 respondents); - Economic news is often presented in a politicized manner from the perspective of only one political party (8 respondents); and - The economic editor does not pay attention to the impact the news may have on ordinary citizens and social classes (8 respondents); Some respondents added other opinions, noting for example lack of fact finding and research to verify the news; failure to provide any solutions to these problems; sometimes the editor adds irrelevant side information and details; lack of context, so there remains a gap between the news and the life of the average citizen; news addresses a certain class of people and does not care about the poorer classes in the community; some of the infographics are so complicated that only economic experts can understand them; and there is a shortage of real economic experts that comment on the news.
(*) Note: It should be noted that 145 respondents (37.7%) didnt want to answer this question.

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Reasons for not reading economic news

This study aimed to learn the reasons that motivated respondents to read economic content, but also the reasons that made some others not read or follow economic topics. As mentioned above, 107 of the respondents (27.8%) stated that they didnt read any economic topics. The main reasons cited for this are set out in the chart below. Chart (9): Respondents reasons for not reading economic news Reasons for not reading economic news
There is a gap between the way news is presented and the realities of ordinary readers News is long and repetitious, especially when press releases for various ministries and companies are published Inaccurate numbers and figures make the news lose its importance Information is not of direct relevance to the reader in his/her daily life News presentation is boring and lacks photos and/or other visualizations. N = 278 Disagree F %
75 72 67 61 56 19.5 18.7 17.4 15.9 14.5

Neutral %
6.0 7.8 7.8 8.8 8.8

F
9 5

Agree %
2.3 1.3 2.6 3.1 4.4

23 30 30 34 34

10 12 17

The most popular reason given for not following economic news was the gap between the way news is presented and the levels, concerns and realities of the average citizen, agreed with by 19.5% of the respondents. The second most popular reason was that the news is long-winded and repetitious, especially when press releases for various ministries and companies are published, agreed with by 18.7% of respondents. The third reason given was that many inaccuracies in numbers and figures make the news lose its importance, agreed with by 17.4% of respondents. The fourth reason cited was lack of information that directly affects the readers daily life, agreed with by 15.9% of respondents, followed by news presentation in economic sections is boring and does not include photos or drawings, cited by 14.5% of respondents. The last reason was lack of drawings and illustrations that facilitate the understanding of complicated economic news agreed with by 14.3% of respondents. The 107 respondents who did not read economic news were asked what would make them fol low economic news in the future. More than half of them (62 respondents, 58%) said they had no intention of changing their minds, whereas 45 respondents (42%) said they might reconsider in the future. This second group would be interested in following economic news if: 1. News was presented in a simplified way, so the average citizen could understand its meaning and see the benefits of reading it; 2. News presented was be credible and had a direct link to the daily life of the citizens; or 3. A major development occurred positive or negative in the conditions of the Egyptian economy.

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Heads of economic sections and journalists and their opinions on the way economic news is covered
Of the forty journalists who participated in this study, 56.7% said they worked for the economic section of their newspapers because they had chosen to, and 68.3% said that this section was their preferred section. Most of the journalists thought that economic news was considered very important (68.3%) or somewhat important (15%) by their newspaper; only one respondent answered that his newspaper saw economic news as not important. al Borsa and al Mal were rated as the best daily newspapers specializing in economic news, according to the same group of journalists, with the general daily newspaper al Shuruq as second best (18.3%) and al Alam al Youm economic daily in third place (11.7%). Respondents also named Amwal al Gad magazine, al Ahram al Iqtisady, al Akhbar, al Wafd , al Masri el Yom al Youm7 and the Egyptian edition of Forbes. Newspapers motives for publishing economic news Chart (10): Newspapers motives for publishing economic news Statements
Agree F % 80.0 83.3 75.0 55.0 Neutral F 10 10 15 26 % 16.7 16.7 25.0 43.3 2 0 0 1 Disagree F % 3.3 0 0 1.7

Helping the reader by providing economic in48 formation Raising awareness regarding the main eco50 nomic developments and events Forming opinions on relevant issues 45

To raise the newspapers image and prestige as an important, high-quality paper that covers all 33 kinds of news

According to the journalists, the prime motive of press institutions for paying attention to economic news was raising awareness regarding main economic events and cases (83.3%), followed closely by helping the reader by providing economic information (80%). A third motive was forming opinions on relevant issues, cited by 75%. In last place came To raise the newspapers image and prestige as an important, high-quality paper that covers all kinds of news (55%). Regarding the place for the publication of economic content, 81.7% of the journalists surveyed in this study thought that there should be a fixed section for economic news; 80% thought that economic news should be distributed over all pages of the newspaper, according to the relevance of its content, and 65% thought that the main economic news should be put on the front page. As for training and professional development, 65% of journalists responded their organization stimulates or helps them to further develop their journalistic skills, while 35% responded this was not the case. In the same context, 68.3% of journalists said that their organization encourages them to attend training in order to help them to develop their performance as journalists
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specializing in economics, while 31.7% said that their organization does not do this. Journalists claimed that they developed their skills as economic editors by attending specialized training (88.3%); through on-the-job practice and coaching (80%) and by education and selfeducation (73.3%). Some journalists added that they also improved their skills by following post-graduate studies in financial management or through working with more experienced and knowledgeable colleagues/specialists and also through discussions with the editors of the same sections.

Core competences any economic journalist should have

The ability to analyze and read numbers; Mastery of economic theory and economic and legal background information; The capacity to keep up to date with any new information; Care for the management of sources, to ensure diversity and strength; Frequent communication with citizens to understand their information needs; The ability to use different methods of writing press releases; Familiarity with economic concepts and terminology; Interest in following global political and economic news and events; Analytical skills and awareness of all that is happening around them; The ability to read accounting data and financial statements; The ability to write simply, using uncomplicated and easy vocabulary; The ability to carry out technical analysis of the stock market; The ability to moderate economic seminars and discussions; Academic specialization in the relevant field; and The ability to link the economy to the lives of ordinary citizens.

Concerning the sources that journalists make use of, mentioning the source of the news was named most often (93.3%), followed by press releases of ministries and companies (80%), local and international news agencies (55%) and the internet (50%). Regarding the standards that govern the selection of sources used, the results of the survey show that the specialization of the source should be suitable for the topic (96.7%), followed by the source should be trusted (78.3%), the source should be a government official or a businessman (53.3%), and finally the source should be ideologically and intellectually in line with the newspapers editorial policy (5%).

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Technical and professional guidelines observed by journalists

Chart (11):Journalistic/ professional guidelines observed by journalists Statements
Accuracy in writing numbers and figures Objectivity in reporting economic news Simplifying and explaining difficult terms and concepts to non-specialist readers Provision of good services to specialist readers Providing economic background information to the reader on relevant economic topics News scoops Presenting interesting news to the reader Supporting the editorial policy of the newspaper Agree F 56 55 54 50 47 43 41 16 % 93.3 91.7 90.0 83.3 78.3 71.7 68.3 26.7 Neutral F 4 5 6 10 12 17 19 44 % 6.7 8.3 10.0 16.7 20.0 28.3 31.7 73.3 Disagree F 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 % 0 0 0 0 1.7 0 0 0

The chart above shows that accuracy and objectivity are perceived as the most important standards that journalists should observe when writing economic news stories: 93.3% mentioned accuracy in reporting numbers, and 91.7% mentioned objectivity in reporting the news. Explaining and simplifying difficult economic expressions for the non-specialized reader was mentioned by 90% of respondents, followed by presenting a good service for the specialized reader, mentioned by 83.3%. Providing economic background information to the reader on relevant economic topics was mentioned by 78.3% of respondents, which was followed by news scoops by 71.7%, presenting interesting content to readers by 68.3%, and finally supporting the editorial policy of the newspaper, mentioned by 26.7% of respondents.

Obstacles that followers of economic news face in reading this type of news
Chart (12): Shortcomings in reporting on economic news Statements
Long-winded and repetitious information, especially if based on press releases of ministries and companies Lack of information that could benefit the readers directly in their daily lives Style and presentation of news in economic newspapers is boring Lots of inaccurate information causes economic news to lose its importance The gap between the level and presentation of economic news and the background and interests of average citizens Absence of illustrations and infographics to facilitate the understanding of economic news Agree F 43 41 36 32 29 24 % 71.7 68.3 60.0 53.3 48.3 40.0 Neutral F 10 11 21 27 23 20 % 16.7 18.3 35.0 45.0 38.3 33.3 Disagree F 7 8 3 1 8 16 % 11.7 13.3 5.0 1.7 13.3 26.7

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The results of this study show that almost half of the journalists of the sample (41.7%) were not satisfied with the quality of economic news in printed newspapers, while 56.7% were somewhat satisfied; only one respondent said that he was satisfied with the level of economic coverage. Journalists listed the shortcomings of economic reporting and the reasons for their dissatisfaction as follows: - The lack of accuracy; - The use of sensationalism and misinformation; - Failure to address the issues objectively; - Lack of professionalism and in-depth understanding of economic issues; - Weak ability to make economic information relevant to ordinary readers; - Failure to explain basic economic concepts, e.g. inflation; - Superficial, traditional and weak presentation of information in comparison with international newspapers; - Dominance of political over economic news, which results in biased or partisan presentation of news; - Politicians with insufficient knowledge about the economy address the economic and financial situation to serve their political goals, misinforming ordinary citizens; - Presenting the points of view of the newspaper owners and serving their interests rather than the readers interests; - Lack of respect for non-specialist readers by not presenting news at their level, e.g. by using infographics; - Lack of commitment of journalists to gradually raising the level of awareness of all citizens; - Specialized economic newspapers dont target ordinary readers but only specialized readers, which leads to a wider gap between these groups of readers; - Depending upon unknown sources and not verifying the source of the news in addition to reporting news from internet sources that cannot be trusted; - Difficulty in accessing information related to the stock market, because the laws of the stock market bind companies not to disclose any information or news before sending it first to the Egyptian stock market; - Lack of transparency in some sectors of the state and the difficulty of obtaining statements from officials who are afraid of being questioned by their bosses; - The limited economic background of journalists and the difficulty some of them have much the numbers and figures used in economic reports; - The lack of good links between economic, political, social and other events; - The lack of news stories that give background to the news; - The mixture of advertising and articles: it is difficult to know whether this content is an
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advertisement or edit; and In order to overcome these shortcomings and in an attempt to attract more readers to follow economic news, the journalists surveyed produced many suggestions: meet the needs of the readers (95%); depend on editors with a wide knowledge of the economy (83.3%); simplify the language used (76.7%) and conduct scientific studies on specific aspects of economic news and on the needs and the interests of readers (75%). Using info-graphics and illustrations was cited by 63.3%, followed by depending on qualified and experienced journalists by 51.7% and improving the skill of journalistic writing by 50%. Only 3.3% of respondents agreed that paying attention to news editing was important. Others, included: Summarizing without making mistakes; Professionalism; Creativity and high-quality printing of newspapers and magazines, rather than using cheap printing houses.

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