Increasing print newspapers prices, necessary bitter medicine to save industry

CAIRO – 3 February 2019: An agreement was reached last August by chairmen of national press organizations and chief editors of private newspapers that prices of print publications should increase to face the financial crises in Egyptian press institutions, especially after ad revenues collapsed and prices of printing materials increased.

The meeting, under the invitation of the National Press Authority (NPA), firmly focused on discussing the status of print newspapers after the hikes in prices of printing materials and ways to rationalize distribution expenses.

The National Press Authority earlier pointed out that the meeting comes within an aim to preserve the long history of Egyptian press and trying to look for alternative solutions that can help save this industry.

But despite that this agreement was reached five months ago, a final decision to increase prices of print publications is still being studied by the NPA; a delay that caused more serious losses to national and private newspapers.

Some press institutions decided to raise the prices of their publications starting next Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, as follows;

Akher Saa:LE 10

Akhbar El Nogoom: LE 10

Akhbar El Sayarat: LE 15

Kitab Al-Youm: LE 25

Fares Magazine: LE 7

Al-Liwa' al-Islami: LE 5

Akhbar El Hawadeth: LE 5

Akhbar El Riada: LE 5

Akbar El Adab:LE 10 and LE 15 for the monthly issue

Some other newspapers like Al-Ahram Newspaper and Dar El Tahrir for Printing and Publishing are also seeking to increase the prices of their publications as well.

Abdel Mohsen Salama, head of Egypt’s Press Syndicate, revealed that the cost of printing papers has recently increased from $540 to around $979.

Salama added that this has caused the news print industry to face a major crisis, demanding the public opinion and the government to understand this crisis and that increasing the prices of newspapers might just be the solution to save Egyptian newspapers.

“The press industry is a significant tool of enlightenment that must be preserved,” Salama told Egypt Today in an interview. “Increasing prices of newspapers is a necessary bitter medicine that we must consider and take.”

Editors' meeting suggests raising Egyptian newspapers' prices

CAIRO - 8 August 2018: Head of Egypt's National Press Authority (NPA) Karam Gabr said that the Wednesday meeting of the boards of national newspapers and editors of private press institutions suggested raising the prices of publications.