Through a public group on the social media platform “Facebook,” hundreds of journalists from electronic websites signed a statement protesting the exclusion of online journalists from the preparatory work for the sixth annual Egyptian Journalism Conference, which will be held in mid-October and is sponsored by the Journalists’ Syndicate at its headquarters in Cairo. They demanded that online journalists be included in the syndicate’s membership.
The group, named “Membership in the Syndicate is a Right for Online Journalists,” published a statement last May, criticizing the invitation from the syndicate’s president to participate in the sixth conference without considering their demands. They stated: “The journalistic community represented by the syndicate council, when speaking about the future of journalism, associates it with print journalism, deliberately or inadvertently neglecting the sector of online journalism. We have decided to submit a memorandum to Your Excellency to consider the reality of online journalists, similar to the decision issued by your esteemed council on May 20, 2024, to regulate the conditions of journalists working for licensed newspapers abroad as well as professors of journalism and media. We do not want the syndicate card to be an honorary title granted to online journalists only upon their death.”
Despite repeated attempts by online journalists, which started years ago, the latest campaign launched by journalists has received widespread acceptance, especially amid the modern technological challenges facing journalism in Egypt and the decline of traditional print journalism, following the spread of online sites and citizen journalism through social media. However, the controversial Law No. 76 of 1970 of the Journalists’ Syndicate stands as an obstacle preventing journalists from obtaining syndicate membership unless they are registered with printed publications.
According to the official website of the Journalists’ Syndicate, there are four subsidiary registers within the syndicate: (trainee journalists, working journalists, non-working journalists, and affiliate journalists). These registers are entrusted to the enrollment committee as stipulated in Article (13) of the syndicate law. The law establishes several conditions for enrollment in the syndicate’s registers, the first being that the journalist must be Egyptian, hold a higher education degree (not necessarily from a journalism or media faculty), and have practiced journalism through a daily or periodic printed newspaper, provided that they do not engage in any other profession besides journalism.
The provisions of the law provoke ridicule among a wide range of journalists, especially since it was issued under the Arab Socialist Union in 1970. According to Article (65) of the law: “No individual may practice journalism unless their name is registered in the syndicate’s registers after obtaining approval from the Arab Socialist Union.” The syndicate is also aimed, according to Article (3), at promoting and deepening socialist and nationalist thought among its members. This means that the membership of the Journalists’ Syndicate can be contested since the union no longer exists or functions, and the law was issued during President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s era, when socialist principles adopted by the authority were widespread. The law also mentions the establishment of the syndicate in the United Arab Republic, which ended in 1971, yet the old provisions are still in effect.
Based on Article 1 of the 2014 Constitution, which states that “The Arab Republic of Egypt is a sovereign unified state, indivisible, and its system is democratic republican based on citizenship and the rule of law,” former syndicate presidential candidate Tarek Darwish filed a lawsuit to challenge the provisions of the syndicate law. The lawsuit argued that the syndicate’s subordination to the Arab Socialist Union, the Ministry of National Guidance, and the United Arab Republic (all of which have been abolished) made the law obsolete, but the court rejected the lawsuit at the time.
Persistent Efforts
In the past, there were continuous attempts to amend the current law and include online journalists under the syndicate’s umbrella. Several campaigns emerged, most notably “I Am an Online Journalist,” with waves of activity, especially in 2015.
At the time, then-syndicate president Yahya Qalash commented on the campaign, saying: “The campaign is malicious and dubious, and most of these individuals are unqualified for journalism and engage in extortion against citizens to create a state of doubt.” He noted that the emergence of parallel entities to the Journalists’ Syndicate posed a danger to the profession. At that time, several online journalists established what was known as the Online Journalists Syndicate, demanding an amendment to the law to recognize them or allow their inclusion in the Journalists’ Syndicate with full rights and privileges.
According to journalist Ahmed Abu Al-Qasim, secretary-general of the “I Am an Online Journalist” campaign, professional recognition of online journalists emerged in early 2004 with the establishment of an electronic unit in the syndicate, but it was abolished then. Subsequently, an online journalists’ syndicate was established after the 2011 revolution.
The current campaign comes amid a noticeable decline in traditional journalism’s performance, with the spread of technological and electronic media. Sarah Adel, a journalist and one of the founders of the “Membership in the Syndicate is a Right for Online Journalists” group, told Zawia3 that the campaign started last May, coinciding with the syndicate president and council’s decision to regulate the conditions of Egyptian journalists abroad and university professors domestically. She explained: “The decision sparked many discussions in journalists’ groups, especially within an electronic group supporting female journalists, which alerted us to the need to launch a campaign to sign a petition demanding our rights. It was signed by syndicate members and non-members alike.”
She added: “The momentum and demand for our rights returned with the syndicate’s statements related to the general conference on Egyptian journalism, especially amid their discussions about the future of journalism in Egypt and the challenges of technology and artificial intelligence. We saw how they talked about developing traditional print journalism without considering online journalism and its challenges.”
Sarah and her group demand an amendment to the syndicate law to allow their inclusion without restrictions, granting them all the privileges like other journalists. With the syndicate president Khaled El-Balshy mentioning that a committee within the conference is indeed discussing the matter, she questions the committee’s mechanism, its members, and whether the amendment will include changes to the enrollment provisions.
She continued: “Now there is a serious invitation from the syndicate to discuss the issue, especially since the initial reactions were not serious, and there was complete neglect. Then the president started to respond by inviting the group to discuss the matter.”
Sarah emphasized that the current syndicate council comes from an electronic background, which means that the current moment is a good opportunity to respond to the demands and intensively present them. She pointed out that they are waiting for the syndicate’s general assembly to vote as El-Balshy stated to decide the matter. According to her, the current law governing the syndicate was issued 54 years ago and regulated work under traditional methods that are now disappearing, while not considering new journalistic patterns like online journalism, content journalism, and podcasts, among others.
Lost Rights
Ahlam Adly, a journalist since 2003, says she has been working in journalism for over 18 years and has faced many obstacles and risks due to her work, yet she has not been able to obtain membership in the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate to this day.
She added: “I work as an economics editor at the Dunia Al-Floos news site, which is awaiting its turn for licensing by the Journalists’ Syndicate. I have faced many obstacles because I am not a syndicate member, such as being barred from covering some ministries requiring syndicate membership, and the deterioration of newspaper documents that have become worn over time, proving my long-standing career as a journalist.”
The biggest problem Ahlam faces is that she worked for several print newspapers but could not secure a permanent position, which would qualify her for syndicate membership. She said: “I worked for five years in a print newspaper called Al-Rai Al-Aam Al-Masry, but they refused to appoint me, claiming that those appointed would leave the newspaper afterward. I also worked for print publications like Al-Anbaa Al-Dawlia, Al-Hayat Al-Masria, Sawt Al-Azhar, Al-Shura, Alam Al-Mal, Al-Wafd website, Sawt Al-Ummah Al-Arabiya, and Hawadith Al-Youm, yet I did not get my right to a permanent position that would allow me to apply for membership in the Journalists’ Syndicate.”
Despite her attempts to resort to the courts about three years ago, her case was rejected on the grounds that the court does not represent an enrollment committee and that she should file a complaint with the syndicate. She described her feeling: “I have been working for 18 years, and colleagues who graduated only a year or two ago have been enrolled. Don’t I have the right to be appointed and obtain a card proving my journalistic identity? My colleagues and I await a change in the situation to enable online journalists to join the membership.”
Aya Ali, a freelance journalist working for several electronic platforms, including Raseef 22, describes her feeling of frustration. She began her journalism career as an online journalist in 2010. She said: “I worked for several Egyptian and Arab news sites and Gulf newspapers and magazines. For years, I suffered from unfair wages, lack of contracts, and labor rights, and sometimes not receiving dues.”
Aya has been working in journalism for 14 years and has continued her journey with independent and collaborative journalism since 2021. Despite these being better work environments in terms of flexibility, wages, and work relations, according to her, the absence of contracts and the nature of remote work leave the journalist’s rights in the hands of the institution they work for, especially if it is abroad, without union support if wronged. Some platforms practice policies that waste freelancers’ financial rights, time, and effort. She added: “As a freelance journalist, I also find it very difficult to secure a steady income.”
She continued: “Throughout 14 years of journalistic work, despite having a good network of journalistic sources, a major obstacle I face as an online and freelance journalist is being denied access to some information and press statements from ministries and some government institutions, which are given to my syndicate-member colleagues, and the severe prejudice against journalists like me who do not have a press license or card. The biggest fear is the lack of a legal umbrella for our journalistic work, as the state does not recognize us as journalists in the first place.”
The only viable opportunities currently available, according to the journalist, are through the gateway of print newspapers that receive undue payments to appoint journalists and enroll them in the syndicate. She said: “Three years ago, I was offered to pay 50,000 EGP to a newspaper to enroll me in the syndicate, and a fellow journalist suggested that I join with a group of non-syndicate members to file a lawsuit to become syndicate affiliates, but I wish to enter it through legitimate doors.”
Similarly, Sahar Eid, who has been working in journalism for 18 years, said she worked after graduation at Al-Dostour newspaper, but left quickly due to financial reasons, as she worked without pay under the pretext of training. She returned to journalism during the January 2011 revolution but describes the situation since then as rife with “cliquishness and nepotism,” necessitating connections to work and be appointed.
She added: “I worked for a Gulf electronic journalistic platform for ten years, but it doesn’t have a print edition, which also prevented me from being appointed, although I have always dreamed of syndicate membership.” She describes how she repeatedly sought work at several print newspapers but was met with refusal or poor treatment, despite constantly improving her journalistic skills and working for various local and regional newspapers. According to her, she has been working for five years at a newspaper with both print and electronic editions but has not yet been appointed.
Sahar believes it is unacceptable for her dream to be hindered by faulty decisions, resulting in her lack of insurance coverage, future pension, or legal journalistic status, especially since the law accuses non-syndicate members of impersonating journalists.
She emphasized that one cannot talk about the future of journalism and artificial intelligence while ignoring the recognition of online journalism, adding: “If change doesn’t happen under Khaled El-Balshy, who founded several online journalism projects, when will it happen? Especially since he is the most understanding of our suffering.”
Sahar agreed with Aya in receiving offers from local newspapers for appointment in exchange for money, stating that she strongly rejects this business of newspapers, emphasizing that she should join the syndicate through legitimate doors, not through questionable means.
Commenting, syndicate president Khaled El-Balshy told Zawia3 that the demands of online journalists are entirely legitimate, but the issue is how to manage the file. He added: “We will start discussing the conditions of online journalists through the sixth Egyptian Journalism Conference, but we must wait until next March during the syndicate’s general assembly, coinciding with the upcoming elections, as it has the authority to accept or reject the amendment of the syndicate law.” He suggested that the continuous campaigns demanding the law’s amendment and the inclusion of online journalists under the syndicate’s umbrella would push the general assembly to approve.
He added: “Online journalism is a natural evolution of the era we live in, and without it, Egyptian journalism loses its ability to keep up with modern developments. I will strive for it to be part of the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate due to the labor market’s need for it.”
… Between the syndicate president’s affirmation of the necessity of including them in the official syndicate system and their repeated demands, online journalists await the results of the general Egyptian Journalism Conference in mid-October and the outcomes of the committee established by the syndicate to discuss their demands to decide their next steps in their pursuit of their legitimate rights.
