Rashwan’s digital media entity proposal sparks Journalists Syndicate backlash
A proposal by Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan to establish an industry body for news websites has ignited a fierce debate within Egypt’s media sector, drawing warnings from syndicate leaders over the creation of parallel structures and encroachment on existing regulatory bodies.
Rashwan pitched the idea during a Monday meeting with news website editors-in-chief, suggesting an entity modeled after the “Chamber of Cinema Industry” to regulate digital media outlets.
Under current regulations, the Journalists Syndicate restricts membership primarily to traditional print media practitioners, leaving hundreds of digital journalists without formal accreditation, legal protections, or syndicate benefits. This coverage gap lies at the heart of the current crisis, driving ongoing debate over whether to reform the syndicate’s rules or establish alternative bodies for digital newsrooms.
Syndicate board member Mohamed El-Garhy submitted a memorandum on Tuesday characterizing Rashwan’s proposal as a “circumvention and encroachment” on the competencies of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation under Law No. 180 of 2018.
El-Garhy noted that industry chambers are established by Cabinet decree upon a proposal from the chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Industries under Law No. 70 of 2019. He added that the editors who met with the minister manage these platforms rather than own them, whereas owners are those legally empowered to form such chambers.
In response, Head of the Journalists Syndicate Khaled Elbalshy called on Wednesday for a “calm professional debate” inside the syndicate starting next week to formulate cohesive solutions for the General Assembly.
Elbalshy warned against mixing owners and workers in a single entity under the pretext of defending workers’ rights. He explained that the real crisis lies in the fact that the Journalists Syndicate is no longer an umbrella for all practitioners following industry developments, making reform necessary to prevent the absence of protection from being used to justify alternative entities.
Syndicate protection must expand to cover all active digital journalists through clear rules and institutional labor committees rather than alternative bodies, Elbalshy said.
Reactions among digital editors were split. Editor-in-Chief of Telegraph Egypt Sami Abdel Radi, who attended the meeting, told Al Manassa that the minister “did not mention a parallel entity to the Journalists Syndicate.”
Praising Elbalshy’s call for dialogue as “sane and balanced,” Abdel Radi voiced support for an owners’ entity that protects digital journalists until the syndicate determines its framework, noting that digital platforms have become the face of Egyptian journalism.
Similarly, Editor-in-Chief of the July platform Khaled Salah told the “Hadrat Al-Muwatin” show hosted by Sayed Ali that an entity uniting board chairmen of Egypt’s more than 280 news websites is a necessary step to regulate conditions for hundreds of digital journalists instead of continuing disputes over syndicate enrollment.
Former Head of the Journalists Syndicate Yahia Kalash told Al Manassa that Rashwan clarified his proposal as an institutional body for outlets rather than individuals, comparing it to a past failed effort by former CBC network owner Mohamed Al-Amin to create a media industry chamber.
Kalash attributed the current crisis to confusion between owners’ and workers’ roles. He added that he believes the state did not initiate the proposal, noting that state authorities actually stepped in to rationalize the debate, which prompted the minister’s quick clarification.
Kalash emphasized that critics are overlooking the primary authority of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, which holds licensing powers and legal mandates to safeguard worker rights alongside syndicates.
Kalash urged Head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation Khaled Abdel Aziz to intervene and correct the debate, noting that attendees at Rashwan’s meeting represented individual projects rather than a cohesive group of influential publishers. He also recalled an August 24 initiative by Elbalshy that gained publisher support for enrolling active digital journalists after complete training courses.
Concurrently, El-Garhy initiated a separate political escalation by demanding Rashwan’s transfer to the syndicate’s inactive journalists roll under Article 22 of its membership regulations, which requires full-time dedication to journalistic practice.
Speaking to Al Manassa, El-Garhy explained that he had previously submitted an August 26 memorandum regarding non-practicing members, which the board discussed after establishing regular practice as the standard for maintaining membership through voluntary transfer or referral.
El-Garhy cited Rashwan’s “non-explicit” responses regarding his potential candidacy for syndicate head in the March 2027 elections as the trigger for naming him in the memo. During Monday’s meeting, when asked by Almawq3 Editor-in-Chief Mohsen Samika whether he intended to run while serving as minister, Rashwan replied, “Ask the State Council.”
El-Garhy argued that Rashwan cannot act as both “adversary and judge” without threatening syndicate stability, calling on him to follow the example of former Minister of Information Osama Heikal, who voluntarily requested transfer to the inactive roll.
While the Administrative Court of the State Council dismissed a 2021 lawsuit by journalist Karem Yehia seeking to disqualify Rashwan from syndicate elections, El-Garhy emphasized that Rashwan was then merely seconded from Al-Ahram to head the State Information Service, whereas running as a sitting minister strikes at the independence platform Rashwan himself ran on in 2009.