Broadcaster Yousri Fouda just issued a press release on his personal Twitter account announcing the reason for the cancellation of yesterday's episode of “Akhar Kalam,” which is normally broadcast on OnTV. “There are three things I always try to keep in mind: my conscience before God, my duty towards the nation and my concern for the value of the profession,” Fouda said. “These now lead me to issue the first statement in my career spanning 20 years addressing those who have honored me with their trust and respect.” “I have been privileged during my career to cover the last nine months after a beautiful revolution in our country, but it seems to me that there are those who would not like it to remain beautiful” he continued. “To a large extent the oppressive pre-revolution mode of thought is still being imposed on us.” “This is not what so many gave their lives and well-being for, so it is up to all honorable people to take a stand.” “I'm taking a stand as a citizen of this country,” he said, adding that “as a journalist, I must point out what I perceive to be a marked deterioration in media freedom as well as professional negligence.” “This springs from a belief that the media can deny an evident truth or fabricate an alternate reality and this is a trend I do not want to be a part of.” “Although I am aware we are all going through a lengthy learning process in Egypt, which fills us with optimism at times and frustration and despair at others, it has become increasingly clear over the past few months that there have been attempts to maintain the essence of the corrupt regime – a system that the people of this country came out to overthrow,” he said. “The elements of the remaining regime are varied,” he continued. “Some are inherited and others are new innovations, but all have conspired directly and indirectly to put pressure on those who still believe in the noble principles of the revolution.” “I have been and I always will be proud of OnTV and what its staff has managed to broadcast under difficult circumstances, and I always will be proud of all the voices of bold, free Egyptians who are unafraid to speak the truth,” he said. “Egypt is full of liberated individuals, which has led me to suspend my work on my program indefinitely; this is my form of self-censorship,” he added. “I will neither talk of what is ‘good' or stay silent.” “This is a cry from the heart driven by patriotism and a deep faith that Egypt deserves much better than this,” he said in his concluding remarks. “Yousri Fouda's stance was that of a free journalist who stands for free media in the face of media that refuses to be free,” OnTV reported on its Twitter account. “No pressure can control the media on their channel,” the statement continued. OnTV believes in free media and this is reflected in its content, the statement read, adding that it respects Yousri Fouda's desire to make a statement through the suspension of his program. “The channel will remain a platform for free media and nothing can pressure them into being anything other,” the OnTV statement continued. The channel also denied that they have pressured Fouda in any way, adding that they still consider Fouda part of their team.
