Egypt’s media leadership agreed on Tuesday to a new coordination framework aimed at enhancing national awareness and combating rumours, following directives from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The agreement came during a meeting led by Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan with the heads of key media bodies. The framework seeks to deliver a professional discourse reaching all segments of society.
Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan held a meeting on Tuesday at the ministry’s headquarters with Khaled Abdel Aziz, head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR); Abdel Sadiq El-Shorbagy, head of the National Press Authority (NPA); and Ahmed El-Muslimani, head of the National Media Authority (NEA). Participants described the presidential directives as a work programme to be implemented within their jurisdictions. President al-Sisi instructed giving maximum importance to public opinion, enlightening it with facts via a national media that reaches all components of Egyptian society, alongside a responsible professional discourse to build collective awareness against challenges and rumours while fostering constructive dialogue and respect for differing views.
Officials expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s emphasis on the media’s role in strengthening Egyptian identity and highlighting challenges for policymakers. The meeting followed Madbouly’s discussion with Rashwan on Monday, February 16, which stressed the need for ongoing coordination between the ministry and media bodies to achieve integration while upholding their constitutional independence.
The coordination framework aims to establish common ground for national discourse and restore the stature of Egyptian media through messages that respect societal values and traditions without excluding any group, all while adhering to constitutional protections for freedom of expression. The heads of the SCMR, NPA, and NEA congratulated Rashwan on his new role, citing his political and media expertise.
The framework delineates constitutional and legal roles: The Ministry of State for Information represents the government to the public, explains policies, corrects misinformation, and coordinates among media entities; the SCMR (Law 180 of 2018) handles notifications for newspapers, licenses for audio-visual and digital media, and enforces professional standards; the NPA (Law 179 of 2018) oversees state-owned press institutions to ensure independence, neutrality, and economic efficiency; the NEA (Law 178 of 2018) manages public media for television, radio, digital broadcasting, and related services.
The leadership committed to enhancing professional performance in line with the state’s comprehensive development plans and agreed to convene regular sessions to bolster institutional integration.
