Dear friends,
After working hard for four years on developing Egypt Independent as a leading local independent English-language publication, we were notified by Al-Masry Al-Youm`s management last month that our newspaper, in both its online and print forms, can no longer continue to exist due to financial difficulties.
This decision comes at a time when private media is suffering greatly from the current economic crisis in the country, but also, and more importantly, from political limitations manifested in rising restrictions on freedom of expression.
Shutting down Egypt Independent would mean losing a credible and unique voice that conveys the country`s complex realities to the world at a time when freedom of expression is stifled in many ways. The heavy-handed policing of news outlets has recently extended to reach local foreign-language newspapers, which have been mostly spared from crippling restrictions in the past. We, along with other independent voices, resist the authorities’ quest to control the narrative on Egypt to those living abroad.
We want to continue reporting with honesty, integrity and a critical voice, especially at a time when the current administration and ruling party are hiding the truth about their commitment to the revolution and its democratic aspirations from the world.
We want to continue offering nuanced coverage by a young and passionate team of journalists who understand Egypt inside out.
In order to preserve this unique journalistic experience, Egypt Independent reaches out to friends, colleagues and people who believe in our publication and its commitment to serving the truth.
We have convinced our management to give us a chance to raise our revenues through a series of measures such as increasing our base of subscribers. Accordingly, we have activated a platform for international subscriptions, through which our friends and readers abroad can get a digital copy of our weekly edition every Thursday. To subscribe, please click on the following link:
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Beyond dreading the loss and mourning yet another English-language paper, we feel this is a fight for preserving an important narrative, behind which stands a robust collective of journalists, translators and editors who do not simply produce news in English, but also inform local media practice and shed light on this country’s ongoing struggle for justice, freedom and equality.
The Egypt Independent team