Egypt

State TV presenter resigns over media coverage

While people were being shot dead by police on streets packed with protesters calling for Mubarak's resignation, state-run TV presenter Soha al-Naqqash was asserting that calmness prevailed.

Al-Naqqash, a longtime employee of Egypt's Nile News channel, submitted her resignation over state TV's coverage of the uprising.

Al-Naqqash told Al-Masry Al-Youm Wednesday that she had tried to convince her bosses to change the coverage to reflect what was actually happening, but she was rebuffed.

“They used to say ‘these are the instructions’. I decided to resign so as not to get involved in what’s unprofessional," she said.

"My resignation doesn’t represent a political stance but a professional one. Denying what is happening has disappeared from the world’s media but not from Egyptian state TV,” she added.

Al-Naqqash said she was sorry for not being proud to work for a broadcaster that abides by such policies. “I made my resignation decision, although I was about to get promoted to a head presenter position.”

Egypt deserves better media coverage, al-Naqqash said.

Other presenters and media personalities have also resigned, including Mahmoud Saad, the host of talk show "Masr al-Naharda", who stepped down last month when state television prevented his show from airing.

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