Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The Egyptian public broadcaster, newly named the National Media Council (NMC), has been under pressure to undergo comprehensive restructuring. Many changes have taken place recently to enable this transformation. Through analysing financial reports, evaluating the new regulatory framework and conducting in-depth interviews, this study examines the likelihood of the NMC adapting to the recent changes and the extent to which the new regulatory framework promotes a public service system suggesting a model for implementation. Findings show that the NMC must respond to four main challenges: lack of strategic vision and identity, a centralized regime power structure, an acute financial deficit, and a weak digital presence. Interviewees evaluated the new regulatory framework as inexhaustive with an intention to maintain grip on power. Interviewees proposed an integrated decentralized model that combines the public service mission with private partnership.

Keywords

Egyptian media media reform media restructuring public service media state media transitional media public broadcasting

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abbott

(2016) Rethinking Public Service Broadcasting’s Place in International Media Development. Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA). National Endowment for Democrat. Available at: https://www.cima.ned.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/CIMA_2016_Public_Service_Broadcasting.pdf (accessed 19 November 2018).

Abd ela’al

(2018) Al-Barameg Al-Hewareya fi al-telefision el-Masry wa a’lakatha bel-horeya wa al-mas’oleya al-agtema’ia. [A Content Analysis study on Egyptian Television Talk Shows and its relationship with Freedom and Social Responsibility]. Journal of Art Scientific Research 19(1): 375–397.

Abdel Maksoud

(2015) Taqeem Ada’a Al-e’lam Al-masry Kelal Al Azamat AL-eqdesadeya: deraset hala a’ala al barameg al-telefesionia [Evaluating the Egyptian Media Performance during Economic crisis. Case Study on the Television Talk Shows]. The Arab Journal for Media and Communication Research 9: 114–135.

Abdulla

(2013) Mapping Digital Media: Egypt. New York, NY: Open Society Foundations.

Abdulla

(2016) Public service broadcasting in Egypt: Strategies for media reform. In: Obar

Freedman

McChesney

, et al. (eds) Strategies for Media Reform: International Perspectives. New York, NY: Fordham University Press, pp.281–295.

Al-Hosary

(2018) National Media Council Institutional Reform. Cairo, Egypt: National Media Council.

Allam

(2017) Egypt’s new regulatory media system: Challenges and opportunities. Policy Brief Series. 4th Issue - Winter 2017. Available at: https://documents.aucegypt.edu/Docs/GAPP/Policy-Brief-4.pdf (accessed 20 February 2019).

Allam

(2018) The bureaucratic broadcasting governing structure and content diversity: The case of the Egyptian National Television System. Global Media Journal 16: 30.

Allam

(2019) Constructive journalism in Arab transitional democracies: Perceptions, attitudes and performance. Journalism Practice 13: 1273–1293.

10.

Badr

(2020) Egypt: A divided and restricted media landscape after the transformation. In: Richter

Kozman

(eds) Arab Media Systems. Arab German Young Academy, pp.215–232.

11.

Ball-Rokeach

DeFleur

(1976) A dependency model of mass media effects. Communication Research 3: 3–21.

12.

Brown

(2013) Tracking the ‘Arab Spring’. Journal of Democracy 24(4): 45–58.

13.

Buccianti

El-Richani

(2015) Policy briefing: After the Arab uprisings- prospects for a media that serves the public. BBC Media Action. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/publications-and-resources/policy/briefings/after-the-arab-uprisings (accessed 6 March 2019).

14.

El Issawi

(2012) Tunisian media in transition. Middle East, July 2012. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Available at: https://carnegieendowment.org/2012/07/10/tunisian-media-in-transition-pub-48817 (accessed 10 October 2018).

15.

El Issawi

Cammaerts

(2015) Shifting journalistic roles in democratic transitions: Lessons from Egypt. Journalism 15(5): 549–566.

16.

El Shaer

(2015) Mapping Egypt’s media: State influence in a transforming landscape. Available at: https://www.arabmediasociety.com/mapping-egypts-media-state-influence-in-a-transforming-landscape/ (accessed 10 January 2019).

17.

El-Sheikh

(2015) The Future of the Egyptian Broadcasting Media. A Study on the Current Status of the Egyptian Media and Reform Roadmap. In: Media Policies and Freedom of Expression (17-23). The American Univeristy in Cairo, Egypt, 25–26 Feburary.

18.

Gentles

Charles

Ploeg

, et al. (2015) Sampling in qualitative research: Insights from an overview of the methods literature. The Qualitative Report 20(11): 1772–1789.

19.

Information and Communication Technology (2020) ICT Indicator in Brief. Available at: https://mcit.gov.eg/Upcont/Documents/Publications_22102020000_ICT_Indicators_in_Brief_August_2020_EN.pdf

20.

Khalil

(2007) Al Tanzemm Al-Qanouni wal-Rakaba A’la Mahdat Al Iza’a wal-telefision [Legal Regulations and Censorship on Audio Visual Channels]. Cairo, Egypt: Dar El Nahda El Arabeya Publication.

21.

Khamis

(2011) The transformative Egyptian media landscape: Changes, challenges and comparative perspectives. International Journal of Communication 5: 1159–1177.

22.

Kim

(2015) Diffusion of changes in organizations. Journal of Organizational Change Management 28(1): 134–152.

23.

Kraidy

(2014) Media industries in revolutionary times. Media Industries Journal 1(2): 45.

24.

Loveless

(2008) Media dependency: Mass media as sources of information in the democratizing countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Democratization 15: 162–183.

25.

Mendel

(2013) Assessment of Media Development in Egypt Based on UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators. Paris, France: UNESCO.

26.

Nordicity Report (2016) Analysis of government support for public broadcasting. Available at: https://site-cbc.radio-canada.ca/documents/vision/strategy/latest-studies/nordicity-public-broadcaster-comparison-2016.pdf (accessed 10 October 2018).

27.

Nowell

Norris

Deborah

, et al. (2017) Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 16(1): 160940691773384.

28.

Payne

Williams

(2005) Generalization in qualitative research. Sociology 39(2): 295–414.

29.

Rugh

(2004) Arab Mass Media: Newspapers, Radio, and Television in Arab Politics. Westport, CT: Praeger.

30.

Rugh

(2007) Do national political systems still influence Arab media? Arab Media & Society 2: 1–21.

31.

Sakr

(2012) The place of public service broadcasting in Arab democratization processes. In: Bugs

Huguenin-Benjamin

(eds) Public Service Broadcasting in the MENA Region: Potential for Reform. Paris, France: Panos Paris Institute and the Mediterranean Observatory of Communication, pp.30–36.

32.

Sakr

(2015) Good Practice in EU Public Service Media and Contemporary Practice in Jordan: A Comparative Analysis. UNESCO & the European Union. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/FIELD/Amman/pdf/Good_Practice_in_EU_Public_Service_Media_and_Contemporar.pdf

33.

Tambini

(2004) The passing of paternalism: Public service television and increasing channel choice. In: Tambini

Cowling

(eds) From Public Service Broadcasting to Public Service Communications. London: IPPR, pp.46–60.

34.

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (2005a) Public service broadcasting. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/media-development/public-service-broadcasting/ (accessed 10 October 2018).

35.

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (2005b) Public service broadcasting: A best practices sourcebook. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-and-communication-materials/publications/full-list/public-service-broadcasting-a-best-practices-sourcebook/ (accessed 10 October 2018).

36.

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (2013) Assessment of media development in Egypt based on UNESCO’s media development indicators. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000220742 (accessed 5 December 2018).

37.

Voltmer

Schmitt-Beck

(2006) New democracies without citizens? Mass media and democratic orientations–A four country comparison. In: Voltmer

(ed.) Mass Media and Political Communication in New Democracies. London: Routledge, pp.228–245.

38.

Webb

(2014) Media in Egypt and Tunisia: From Control to Transition? New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

39.

Wimmer

Dominick

(2014) Mass Media Research: An Introduction, 10th edn. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

40.

Yin

(2018) Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. SAGE Publication.

From flabby to fit: Restructuring the public broadcasting system in Egypt

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References