President reasserts state’s commitment to upholding freedom of expression
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has commended the vital role undertaken by Egyptian media and press in building the national character and formulating public awareness.
He called for drawing up a comprehensive roadmap to enable the national media to cope with the fast developments on the global media landscape.
During a meeting with the chiefs of media and press councils on Sunday, President Sisi expressed appreciation of the vitalrole that media sector staff play in raising public awareness of developments on both domestic and international arenas as well as in highlighting Egypt’s achievements.
In this connection, President Sisi lauded the contribution of the media to the elevation of public taste and deepening societal constants and values, Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Mohamed el-Shennawy said.
Speaking to the media council chiefs, President Sisi underscored the state’s firm commitment to uphold the freedom of expression and embrace diverse national viewpoints within Egypt’s media system in a way that enhances pluralism and intellectual openness, Spokesman Shennawy said in a statement following the meeting.
President Sisi then called for drawing up a comprehensive roadmap for developing Egyptian media, including through benefiting from specialists and personalities of established expertise. Such an approach, the president explained, would ensure the capability of the national media to keep pace with the rapid global transformations and enable it to carry out its mission in a way that corresponds with the orientations of the modern state and new republic.
Elaborating, President Sisi stressed the importance of ensuring the availability of data and information to the media,especially at times of crises when public interest peaks. The president also highlighted the importance of avoiding both excessiveness and shortages in the presentation of topics, Spokesman Shennawy said.
In related remarks, President Sisi highlighted the importance of engaging junior, qualified cadres and organising cultural and training programmes to nurture their skills in media work with focus on the concepts of national security and openness to diverse viewpoints, thereby consolidating the principle of opinion and counter-opinion within the Egyptian media system.
Participants in the meeting made presentations on the efforts under way to upgrade the Egyptian Radio and Television Establishment (Maspero) and affiliate channels. Also presented during the meeting were the aspects of modernising national press establishments. In support of media workers, the president approved a government proposal for a cash allowance for journalists and mandated the resolution of the issue retirement remunerations for employees at Maspero.
Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli attended the meeting. Taking part in the meeting were Khaled Abdel Aziz, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, Abdel Sadeq el-Shorbagi, Chairman of the National Press Authority, and Ahmed el-Meslemany, Chairman of the National Media Authority.
