Tariq al-Sahrī, deputy speaker of the Shūrá Council, said the upper house is preparing a draft law to regulate the press to refer to the People’s Assembly within days, aiming at “purging” the state-run press.
The proposed draft envisages the dismissal of any journalists proved to have served the former regime’s interests and deluded public opinion, said Sahrī in statements to al-Misrī al-Yawm.
He added that the law will also set controls for the selection of chief editors of state-run newspapers and the closing down of any papers proved to have received finance from abroad.
Jamāl ‘Abd al-Rahīm, the deputy chairman of the Syndicate of Journalists, denounced the move, saying the syndicate should have been consulted on such a draft. [Hamdī Dabash and Fārūq al-Jamal, al-Misrī al-Yawm, May 9, p. 3] Read original text in Arabic
