The Impact of the Decisions made by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation on Controlling Media Performance in Egypt: An Analytical Study

This study seeks to monitor the ability of the laws regulating media work in Egypt - represented by the Supreme Council for Media - in controlling the state of continuous and manifold flow that expresses various points of view in dealing with events, news and information in the various media, with the aim of controlling media performance, and ensuring that its practitioners adhere to professional standards And ethical, without prejudice to the constitutional and legislative rights guaranteed to both the citizen and the media, in a manner that guarantees freedom of expression and the interests of the state; This is through analyzing the decisions of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation that were taken over two years (from the beginning of its establishment in April 2017 - until mid-October 2019), and tracking their impact on the media scene in general, and the extent of the commitment of media institutions to implement these decisions of the Council in particular; This provides an overview of one of the media columns concerned with controlling performance and media practices.
By presenting the results of the analysis of the decisions issued by the Supreme Council for Regulating the Press and the Media since its establishment in April (2017) until mid-October (2019), the following can be drawn and suggested: -
- Through the follow-up of the secondary sources of the Council’s news periodically, the multiplicity of the council’s activities and its various committees, the organization of training courses, And the establishment of various codes of behavior, participation in many local and international conferences, meetings of Arab media professionals, operating rooms for emergency events, and the establishment of an integrated media system that includes all areas starting from ethical codes and standards of practice and handling, whether drama, talk shows, or dramas, Or media messages directed at women and children, or religious fatwa programs.
- The recommendations of the various committees in the council’s decisions constitute a small part of their various activities. For example, the complaints committee issued - from the beginning of its establishment until March (2018) - (371) complaints, whereby actions and decisions were taken in (238) complaints, and the complaints were kept. (94) Complaint - according to what was stated in the council's first annual report.
- The Supreme Council for the Regulation of the Press and the Media issued (82) organizational / administrative decisions over the period of analysis regarding the affairs of organization and workers, granting licenses, organizing missions, selecting their coordinators, and other administrative work, and that was out of (200) decisions issued by the Council, i.e. approximately (41%) of the total decisions.
- The researcher recommends amending the composition of the Supreme Council to increase its members from nine to fifteen members due to the need to form specialized committees, the need for them emerges through the council’s practices, which require follow-up and devotion to chair or membership of the formed committees, and not to join more than one committee in the same session.
- The necessity of forming a committee to control the performance of digital media, which is difficult to incorporate within the competencies of other committees such as the Monitoring and Follow-up Committee.
- Forming a consensus committee whose members are nominated by the Supreme Council, the National Press Authority, the National Media Authority, the General Investment Authority, the National Communications Regulatory Authority, and each of: The Press and Media Syndicates to present the media violations, and to define the terms of reference of each party in preparation for presenting them in the councils of each party separately. .
- Forming a special committee to control advertising materials, their content, and extending advertising breaks, and ensuring that the various means adhere to standards and ethical codes, and separating them from the drama committee with a separation between the work of the committee, the competencies of the Artistic Works Authority, and the Consumer Protection Agency.
- Periodically publishing the reports of the Monitoring Committee, the complaints and the deterrent measures approved by the Council, provided that it is published in all media outlets, in order to inform the public of the Council’s role and its adoption of the principles of social responsibility for the Egyptian media.
- Through the analysis, the researcher noticed: No decisions have been issued directed at broadcasting channels, whether public or private, which raises questions about the council’s interest in following up on broadcast performance similar to other means.
- The new formation of media councils, bodies and unions is a fertile environment for media studies, especially to investigate the extent to which this formation keeps pace with the rapid technological development, which in turn is reflected in digital media.
- The researcher calls upon the responsible authorities to intensify training courses for media practitioners, in order to ensure that the field workers are familiar with the updates in the laws, regulations, standards and ethics of the profession as a condition of obtaining a practice license.