EGYPT

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Paris, France, that conducts political advocacy on issues relating to freedom of information and freedom of the press, Egypt is considered to be one of the biggest prisons for journalists. The country takes 161 place out of 180 countries in 2018 World Press Freedom Index.

Egypt is a country in northern Africa with an area of 1 million sq. km. and the population of 83.9 million.

The country is considered to be not free according to Freedom House — a non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights.

Due to the economic crisis, unemployment, and not changing authority in the country for 30 years, Egypt had its biggest revolution in January 2011, which dramatically changed the way the things in the country work.

Before the revolution, Egypt had partly free status in Freedom House and took 127 place in the World Press Freedom Index.

After the change of authorities, many journalists were imprisoned or killed.

According to Sophie Anmuth, a Paris-based researcher with the Middle East desk at Reporters without Borders, more than 20 journalists were arrested in the six months preceding the country’s presidential elections in March 2018.

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) claims that 11 journalists were killed in Egypt after the events of 2011.

Statistically, the situation in the country is getting worse every year. Before 2017 Egypt used to be in the red zone of the world press freedom index map. Now it is located in the black zone.

According to Freedom House, the country is steadily losing one aggregate point per year.

Despite being one of the worst countries for journalists and other media workers, Egypt is still considered to be the major regional media player supplying much of Arab-speaking world.

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Rinat Tashpulatov is a second year JMC and Film Studies student from Yakutsk, Russia who is making his way to Hollywood as a film director.