Three years after graduating from Sohag University’s Faculty of Commerce, Adel Tuhami was still looking for a job. A friend finally suggested that Tuhami go work at an online newspaper  as a correspondent. Earning only L.E. 600 (US $68) a month, however, Tuhami could hardly made ends meet.

Three years after graduating from Sohag University’s Faculty of Commerce, Adel Tuhami was still looking for a job. A friend finally suggested that Tuhami go work at an online newspaper  as a correspondent. Earning only L.E. 600 (US $68) a month, however, Tuhami could hardly made ends meet.

Within two years, Tuhami took some training courses in journalism and as he approached his 30^th birthday, he started a local newspaper with a foreign license, which is comparatively much easier than obtaining an Egyptian license, where an applicant is required to establish a joint-stock company and open a bank account, in addition to several other highly complicated procedures.

Licensing backdoor

Aiman Wahdan, Chairman of British Concord Publishing House, which licenses foreign newspapers, says the licensing procedures of foreign newspapers are simple. They only require providing the name of the newspaper or magazine, a copy of the applicant’s ID, and a licensing fee of no more than L.E. 3,000 (US $338). He also says his company bears the legalization charges to encourage newspapers across Egypt.

Wahdan says since the 2011 revolution his company has issued at least 60 licenses and these licenses are duly endorsed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as well as the Egyptian Embassy in London, and are accompanied by a certificate by the British Chamber of Commerce. He says these licenses are accredited by the Egyptian Publication Authority and the Supreme Council of Press (SCP). The license turnaround time, says Wahdan, takes no more than 15 days.

Tuhami maintains that over 80 companies are working in Egypt through middlemen and agents who facilitate the procurement of foreign licenses assisted by offshore lawyers in Cyprus, London and Paris. “There are however bogus companies that exist only on paper,” he says.

When Tuhami acquired the license, he published an ad on social media for a registered journalist to be appointed as chief editor. He received six applications from journalists in Minya Governorate and eight others from other governorates in return for a monthly pay of L.E. 500 (US $56) for the name only without actual supervision.

Local newspapers

Media professor Mahmoud Mahgoub says more than 2,000 newspapers and magazines have foreign licenses in Egypt. Owned by Egyptians and headed by Egyptian editors, there are four kinds of these newspaper: First, government newspapers issued by governorate offices and authorized by the SCP, like Diwan newspaper in Asyut and Minya Voice in Minya Governorate.

Second, newspapers issued by political parties, such as Asyut Voice issued by the National Party before the 2011 revolution. These are regular publications supported by sufficient financial resources.

Third, newspapers published under foreign licenses, of which there are over 120 newspapers in Asyut and Minya, mostly irregularly issued with funding problems.

Fourth, those issued by Egyptian institutions, like Welad El Balad Media LTD which brings out local newspapers in several governorates, like those issued in Asyut, Faiyum, and the Nag district of Upper Egypt. They are a good experience, though facing financial constraints.

First issue

Tuhami held the first Board of Directors meeting of his nascent newspaper, for which he recruited a number of young correspondents, in addition to students from the Media Department at the Faculty of Arts of the universities of Asyut and Minya. The chief editor did not show up at the meeting because it was agreed that his name would be used against money. An L.E. 10,000 (US $1126) budget was earmarked for his new newspaper. He also concluded advertising agreements with three advertisers. He decided to bring out a monthly edition, with the first issues dedicated to reports in Minya governorate, covering people’s needs and problems. Five thousand copies of the first issue were published, at a cost of L.E. 15,000 (US $1688), inclusive of printing charges, chief editor’s salary, his own salary, temporary office rent, transport and distribution expenses, and workers’ allowances.

Tuhami says advertisements generated L.E. 3,000 (US $338), while circulation was limited to 2,000 copies, at L.E. 1 each (US $.11). He sustained losses amounting to L.E. 10,000 (US $1126) for the first issue. He then appointed two people to look for additional advertisers. For a whole month, they were only able to publish two advertisements worth L.E. 2,000 (US $225). Nevertheless, he published the second issue, which caused even more losses of up to L.E. 12,000 (US $1351), causing him to halt publication.

From professionalism to blackmail

Mohammed Sayed, a journalist in Minya governorate, argues that th experience of local newspapers has proven that professionalism does not bring advertisements. Objectivity in dealing with everyday issues is likely to lead to problems with government officials, causing advertisers to distance themselves from unnecessary conflicts.

Newspapers will have to ultimately turn into a mouthpiece for officials so as to attract advertisements, even at the expense of losing their readership. Sayed calls for funding local newspapers and distributing them free of charge at railway stations and government authorities to increase their readership or use them for other purposes.

Tuhami found himself torn between being objective and continuing his project. He started enhancing his relationship to the governorate’s officials and used them as a shield to protect himself and attacked some entrepreneurs in an attempt to attract more advertisements. This approach proved successful where officials remained satisfied as long as they are not criticized.

Tuhami issued his first issue after changing his editorial policy and the issue only praised governorate officials and disclosed corrupt businessmen, without referring to them by name. He only published 1,000 copies, which he distributed to government authorities. Tuhami maintained advertising through social media network. This approach soon brought him many advertisements where he received over 10 offers worth more than L.E. 25,000 (US $2,800).

He was encouraged to bring out the next issue. His contacts with government officials helped him ensure an undeclared continuity of his newspaper. Two assistants were recruited to visit the industrial areas in the governorate to collect advertisements, which proved to be very successful.

Tuhami was not satisfied with the professional performance, but he could generate enough money to pay himself and his staff. Profits increased with the publication of more issues, and he became more engaged in covering the visits of the governor and the governorate’s executive body to keep his relationship with the officials in front of the advertisers.

Family newspapers

Magdi Karim, a legal advisor for a number of local newspapers, said that over time and due to a shortage of income, these type of newspapers have turned into family ones. They attract family members and relatives in addition to media students as apprentices. However, these young students, especially girls, are usually exploited for bringing advertisements in return for little payment, or getting a maximum of 15 percent of the acquired ads.

Karim said that owners of newspapers face legal problems, but they often evade being charged with publishing violations thanks to the existing legal loopholes, such as use of initials and avoidance of mentioning actual names, etc.

Inadequate funding

Media professor at Sohag University Fawzi Abdulghani says local newspaper workers are exposed to several abuses since they are not registered with the Syndicate of Journalists. Local journalism also suffers from inadequate funding, leading to low wages. This causes experienced journalists to migrate to Cairo in search of better opportunities, which in turn affects the quality and efficiency of local newspapers.

Abdulghani believes that local newspapers have fallen short of properly reflecting public problems. He calls upon these newspapers to address in depth vital community problems, like cases of serious negligence and corruption in hospitals and roads. They should put pressure on officials, says Abdulghani, to respond to people’s grievances and avoid unnecessary praise of this or that official.

From local to national

Tuhami managed to expand the scope of his local newspaper. He looked for businessmen from his governorate who live in Cairo and tourist cities to seek advertisements from them or blackmail them to do so.

Tuhami persuaded a businessman that one way of protecting his wealth was to have a newspaper to defend his interests, like the rest of businessmen in Egypt. “Every businessman in Egypt has tried to have a media arm to fight his adversaries, pressurize the government, and ensure public support,” says Tuhami. “Some of them could have a political cover through funding certain parties or similar means.”

Tuhami established a joint-stock company, supported by a number of businessmen who have become shareholders, to issue a national newspaper to uphold their interests. This newspaper has emerged as an example of a financially thriving model of journalism in Egypt.

Tuhami has created a new genre of local newspapers, whose main purpose is not journalism but to collect advertisements in any way possible. “I have allocated two full pages for governorates’ affairs to highlight their news and sources, and that, I believe, is enough,” he says.

“Professionalism can never be a source of livelihood,” Tuhami says.