FJP Leader Calls for Abolishing Ministry of Information, Ending State Control over Media

FJP Leader Calls for Abolishing Ministry of Information, Ending State Control over Media

Egyptian News agency MENA reported that an independent media committee has been formed, including experts from outside the Radio and Television Union, to examine and assess media coverage of the Maspero incident over the period from seven o’clock in the evening Sunday and until two o’clock in the morning, by reviewing all recordings, both of the Nile News Channel and The First channel.

The Minister of Information announced that, if the independent committee assessment proved that there were media errors that occurred during the coverage, he would not hesitate to apologize to all.

Mohsen Rady (a senior member of the Freedom and Justice Party) expressed surprise at the stubbornness of the Egyptian Information Minister regarding the performance of Egyptian television during the Maspero incident.

In a statement to IkhwanWeb, Rady said: "Strangely, the Maspero events unfolded directly in front of the Egyptian Television building, and all around it. Nevertheless, they never gave us the full clear picture! If these unfortunate events happened in front of any free media network, things would have been totally different, and everyone would have seen the truth."

He stressed that this is unfortunate and unbecoming of Egyptian television.

The second problem, he said, was the provocative performance of Egyptian media, for which no assessment committees independent or otherwise could achieve anything.

Rady said that it is time to abolish the Ministry of Information and transform Egyptian TV into free television, away from the control of the state.