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Journalists and Media Workers: No Hope for Neutral Media Coverage for the Upcoming Elections

During the conference entitled Egyptian Media on Politics and Profession- Experiences in Election Coverage that was held on Monday, journalists and media professionals unanimously agreed that there is "no hope for fair, equal and neutral media coverage for the forthcoming legislative polls under the current system."

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 During the conference entitled Egyptian Media on Politics and Profession- Experiences in Election Coverage that was held on Monday, journalists and media professionals unanimously agreed that there is "no hope for fair, equal and neutral media coverage for the forthcoming legislative polls under the current system."

Abdel-Latif El-Menawy, head of the news sector at ERTU, denied that Egyptian TV is seeking to monopolize the broadcasting of the parliamentary elections, particularly after their rental of all live photography and broadcasting units. He offered to cooperate with the media as news agencies and to provide them with the necessary materials and means.

At the conference held by BBC Arabic in collaboration with the Arab Forum for Alternatives (AFA), it was said: "They have witnessed many experiments with regard to media coverage of the elections in different countries, including the experience of BBC Arabic correspondent, Khaled Ezz El-Arab, who stressed that he had a good chance to witness the elections in the world's most repressive and dictatorial regimes. He had the opportunity to enter the polling stations freely and to photograph its internal and external contents in Sudan, Yemen and Iran, while he questioned the possibility that this could be done in the November 28 parliamentary elections.

Khaled Ezz El-Arab referred to the obstacles and challenges faced by media professionals in Egypt. These included the need for a permit to film in the streets as it is necessary to take the approval of many security authorities and permits should be renewed monthly. He also mentioned police harassment, and sources refusing to cooperate, as well as public fear to speak out.