Egyptian press freedom

THIS REPORT says that Egypt has dropped on the list for freedom of the press since last year’s Revolution.

I’d like to see the factors they used to reach this decision, because it seems counter-intuitive to me.

If this is what is primarily meant, then one can only agree:”RSF added that journalists in Egypt suffered three periods of exceptional violence in February, November and December.”

Yes, there have been periods of exceptional violence against journalists. But February can’t really count as an assessment of the present situation, since that was still under the Mubarak regime.

But if you look at freedom of the press simply as the ability of newspapers to say whatever they feel like saying, it feels to me like things are much better than a year ago. When I read any Egyptian newspaper now, I feel like I have a pretty good chance of reading a scathing denunciation of the military regime. That wasn’t normally the case under Mubarak.

Don’t get me wrong, I think plenty of things have been extremely disappointing since Mubarak stepped down. My mood is generally one of severe disappointment. But I do think there have been some positive gains, and increased freedom of speech and of the press are among them. People pretty much mouth off about the government whenever they feel like it now, without much if any self-censorship, and it really wasn’t quite like that under Mubarak. Over time, that new spirit of mouthing off may work to erode the prestige of SCAF– though to repeat, I’ve been in a pessimistic mood since the October Coptic massacre and the November battle of Mohamed Mahmoud Street.