The Cairo Times media archives

No one can argue that Egyptian media has vastly more freedom today than it did two decades ago. But recently, in the name of combatting the "yellow press," the government shut down the country's largest independent newspaper, banned printing in the free zones, sent journalists to jail for libel for the first time in Egyptian history, and stepped up censorship; the Cairo Times has had three issues banned in March and April alone. True, some newspapers are little more than scandal sheets. But when the smoke cleared, most of them were still in business. Meanwhile, papers like the Cairo Times and the nation's first serious independent Arabic-language newspaper, Al Destour, which was effectively shut down, paid the price.

The crackdown...
* A quick overview of the Egyptian press
* 58 publications kicked out The government shoots itself in the foot with printing ban in Cairo's free zone (Vol 2, Iss 4)
* Rudeness in the first degree Another journalist in jail, this time for insulting a state columnist (Vol 2, Iss 3)
* Paper chase New law deals double blow to civil society (Vol 1, Iss 25)
* Not quite the same old story A new breed of newspaper is staking out the middle ground (Vol 1, Iss 2)
* Swatting at flies Forty-one newspapers and broadsheets licensed abroad are banned (Vol 1, Iss 18)
* Press review: Yellower than thou (Vol 2, Iss 2)
* Martyrs out of muckrakers A jail sentence for an editor and the banning of a weekly has failed to intimidate the press (Vol 2, Iss 1)
* Alfi plays hardball Interior Minister steps up the fight against Al Shaab (Vol 1, Iss 18)
* Alfi files suit After a shrill campaign against the country's Interior Minister, Al Shaab newspaper may get what it wants -- Alfi in court (Vol 1, Iss 13)
* Al Shaab vs Al Alfi One way or another, the Islamist bi-weekly is determined to see the Interior Minister in court (Vol 1, Iss 12)
* Paper banned as public prosecutor acts on Alfi row (Vol 1, Iss 15)

Press ethics and sensationalism...
* Innocent until proven guilty Actresses accused of prostitution take case to the press (Vol 1, Iss 18)
* Gagging the press Ban-happy prosecutor buries the news (Vol 1, Iss 17)
* Israeli-American cartoonist threatens suit against tabloid (Vol 1, Iss 5)
* Spies, satanists, and bellydancers A look at Egypt's bestsellers (Vol 1, Iss 4)
* Looking through Rose-colored glasses Egypt's tabloid-king Adel Hammouda (Vol 1, Iss 16)
* The boyz are back Saudi newspaper apologizes to First Sons (Vol 1, Iss 21)
* The sons bite back Publishers and journalists sentenced for criminally libelling the president's sons (Vol 1, Iss 15)

Al Azhar's campaign against secular writers
* Banstand Al Azhar targets 196 books for banning (Vol 1, Iss 14)
* Don't talk about sex Al Azhar targets another book for the blacklist (Vol 1, Iss 22)
* Brother of another color The Red Sheikh preaches a mixture of social justice and liberal Islam (Vol 2, Iss 2)
* "Mufti of Marxism" miffed at Azhar ban (Vol 1, Iss 25)

Crisis in the broadcast media...
* When Egypt ruled the airwaves (Vol 1, Iss 2)
* TV supremo in sex scandal (Vol 1, Iss 3)

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