Speaking during an interview with broadcaster Khaled Abu Bakr on the television programme Akher Al-Nahar on Al-Nahar Channel, El-Balshy said the syndicate brings together journalists from across the ideological and professional spectrum, obliging its leadership to represent collective interests rather than personal or political orientations.
El-Balshy acknowledged his leftist background but said the journalistic community includes left- and right-leaning figures as well as journalists primarily focused on improving living conditions or accessing union services.
“This diversity imposes a responsibility to protect everyone’s interests without privileging my own voice,” he said.
He added that upon assuming office, he stepped down from his previous position as editor-in-chief to avoid allowing his professional or editorial stance to influence the wider journalistic body.
El-Balshy said he has not abandoned his professional convictions, but has deliberately scaled back the political dimension of his role in favuor of collective action.
He argued that the position of syndicate head cannot be reduced to an individual vision, but must express shared professional interests aimed at advancing the profession.
On relations with institutions and circles that were initially unwelcoming to his election, El-Balshy said engagement remains fluid and transitional by nature, noting that broader understandings could have been achieved but that the syndicate operates within known constraints as part of a wider system.
He stressed that the syndicate seeks to support strong journalism capable of serving both the state and citizens, adding that defending freedom of opinion and expression lies at the core of journalistic work and is directly linked to journalists’ livelihoods.
Commenting on what he described as a decline in the quality and accuracy of news, El-Balshy said this was a symptom of a broader problem, citing limited competition and restricted space for expression.
He said open and competitive environments allow for better training, professional development, and adherence to journalistic standards.
Egyptian journalism, he said, has historically been aware of the boundaries governing its work. “Leave these spaces open,” El-Balshy added, “and journalists know how to manage them. They have never been adversaries of the state’s general principles.”
In May, El-Balshy was re-elected president of Egypt’s Journalists Syndicate after securing 3,346 votes, or about 55 percent of ballots cast, defeating his main challenger, Abdel Mohsen Salama, a former head of the Al-Ahram institution, who received 2,562 votes.
The elections drew 6,051 voters out of 10,232 eligible syndicate members, representing a turnout of just over 59 percent.
El-Balshy is widely regarded as a prominent independent voice in Egypt’s media landscape, having built his career largely outside major state-owned or pro-government outlets, a profile that has shaped his standing within the journalistic community.
Short link: