Egypt arrests six Matsadaash fact-checking journalists, alleging Muslim Brotherhood links
Egyptian police arrested six people from the Matsadaash fact-checking platform, which the rights group EIPR says is its entire newsroom. The interior ministry alleges Muslim Brotherhood links; the outlet denies them.
Updated (version 2). New coverage since the last version from The Jerusalem Post, The Media Line, The National. Previously: “Egypt arrests six journalists of Matsadaash fact-checking outlet”.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Egyptian authorities arrested the full editorial team of the Matsadaash fact-checking platform. Arab NewsRC “Authorities in Egypt have arrested the full editorial team of the Matsadaash fact-checking platform” Read at Arab News ↗ The Straits TimesRC “Egyptian police arrested six journalists from a fact-checking and investigative media outlet” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Right · 2Reuters reported that the six arrests comprised the entire newsroom of the digital platform, which has operated since 2018, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which is providing the journalists with legal representation. The Jerusalem PostRC “The arrests comprised the entire newsroom of Matsaddash, a digital platform that has operated since 2018” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ The Straits TimesRC “which is providing the journalists with legal representation” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Right · 1According to the EIPR, plainclothes security personnel began raiding the journalists' homes on Monday evening and confiscated electronic devices. The Straits TimesRC “plainclothes security personnel had started raiding the journalists' homes on Monday evening and confiscated electronic devices” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Right · 1The interior ministry accused the site of being managed from abroad as part of the Muslim Brotherhood's media apparatus, with help from Brotherhood "elements" inside Egypt. The Jerusalem PostRC “the interior ministry accused the site of being managed from abroad as "part of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood's media apparatus"” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Centre · 1According to The National, the ministry called the page "unlicensed", named a fugitive Brotherhood member abroad, Abdel Rahman Shoukry Ali Abdel Jalil Mansour, as its runner, and said people inside Egypt prepared false reports in return for payments from abroad. The NationalN “is run by Muslim Brotherhood member Abdel Rahman Shoukry Ali Abdel Jalil Mansour, who is a fugitive abroad”“in return for financial payments they receive from abroad” Read at The National ↗ Centre · 1The ministry said one of the six is registered with the Journalists' Syndicate, that the syndicate's head was informed, and that legal procedures had begun. The NationalN “One of them is registered with the Journalists’ Syndicate, while the others are not members of the syndicate.” Read at The National ↗
Mixed · 2Matsadaash denied any affiliation with the Brotherhood and pointed to corrections it had issued of what it called misinformation published by Brotherhood-affiliated media. The Jerusalem PostRC “Matsaddash denied that it was affiliated with the Brotherhood.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ The NationalN “In a statement, it denied the accusations.” Read at The National ↗ Centre · 1The National describes the platform as claiming to specialise in fact-checking Egyptian and Arab content, with more than 1.3 million Facebook followers. The NationalN “Its Facebook page has more than 1.3 million followers.” Read at The National ↗ Mixed · 2Egypt banned the Brotherhood as a terrorist group in 2013, the year the army overthrew President Mohamed Mursi, and journalists and activists have often been arrested there on charges of spreading false news. The Jerusalem PostRC “Egypt banned the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in 2013, the year the army overthrew President Mohamed Mursi” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ The NationalN “prosecuted thousands of its members and supporters” Read at The National ↗
Right · 2The Committee to Protect Journalists says 19 journalists are currently detained in Egypt; Arab News said reports describe the arrests as part of increased measures against journalists. The Jerusalem PostRC “According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 19 journalists are currently detained in Egypt.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Arab NewsRC “which reports claim is part of increased measures against journalists” Read at Arab News ↗ Right · 1Egypt's State Information Service had not responded to a request for comment. The Straits TimesRC “did not immediately respond to a request for comment” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Leads with the Interior Ministry's statement and accusation, treating the platform's denial briefly.
- Emphasis
- Ministry details: the named fugitive, payments from abroad, and the syndicate registration of one detainee.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits the EIPR account of home raids and seizures, the whole-newsroom point, and the CPJ detention count.
- Charged language
- “unlicensed online page”“false and fabricated reports”
- For example
-
“Egypt says six members of online platform 'run by Muslim Brotherhood' arrested” — The National
Right3 outlets
- Framing
- Frames it as a press-freedom story: the whole newsroom arrested, with Reuters copy giving the ministry's accusation alongside the outlet's denial.
- Emphasis
- The entire newsroom detained, EIPR's account of the raids, and context of detained journalists in Egypt.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Leaves out the ministry's detail about a named fugitive, payments and the syndicate's role.
- Charged language
- “entire newsroom”
- For example
-
“Egyptian police arrest entire newsroom of investigative outlet over alleged Muslim Brotherhood ties” — The Jerusalem Post
“Egypt fact-checking platform says authorities arrest entire editorial team” — Arab News
What every side reports
- Egyptian police arrested six people from the Matsadaash platform.
- The interior ministry accuses the platform of Muslim Brotherhood links.
- Matsadaash denies the accusation.
- Egypt banned the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in 2013.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether Matsadaash is tied to the Muslim Brotherhood
- Centre
- The National leads with the ministry's account and headlines it as Egypt's claim, noting the outlet's denial in one line.
- Right
- Reuters copy in the Straits Times and Jerusalem Post attributes the accusation to the ministry and gives the outlet's denial and its corrections as rebuttal.
-
Who the arrested are
- Centre
- The National: six 'members' of a Brotherhood media committee, only one of whom is a syndicate-registered journalist.
- Right
- Reuters and Arab News: six journalists, the platform's entire newsroom/editorial team.
-
Egyptian authorities arrested the entire editorial team of the Matsadaash fact-checking platform.
Supported- Supports 3
- Arab News, The Jerusalem Post, The Straits Times
- Reports 1
- The National
-
Matsadaash is part of the Muslim Brotherhood's media apparatus.
Reported- Reports 3
- The National, The Jerusalem Post, The Straits Times
Matsadaash organisation
Denies any Brotherhood affiliation and cites its corrections of Brotherhood-affiliated media.
“Matsaddash denied that it was affiliated with the Brotherhood.” — The Jerusalem Post
Egypt place
The Interior Ministry says the page is a Brotherhood operation run from abroad and that arrests followed legal procedures.
“Following the completion of the necessary legal procedures, six members of the aforementioned media committee were arrested.” — The National
Muslim Brotherhood organisation
Described by Egyptian authorities as a banned terrorist group; no Brotherhood response is reported.
“Egypt banned the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in 2013” — The Jerusalem Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
-
Egypt says six members of online platform 'run by Muslim Brotherhood' arrested
Neutral Relays the ministry's allegations in detail, with the platform's denial in one line.
-
Right3 articles
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Egypt fact-checking platform says authorities arrest entire editorial team
Neutral Short report relaying the platform's claim that its whole team was arrested, set within a wider crackdown on journalists.
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The Straits TimesRC · · via Reuters
Egyptian police arrest all six journalists of investigative outlet
Neutral Reuters copy run by the Straits Times, giving the ministry's accusation, the denial and press-freedom context.
-
Egyptian police arrest entire newsroom of investigative outlet over alleged Muslim Brotherhood ties
Neutral Reuters copy run by the Jerusalem Post, stressing the entire newsroom arrested and giving both sides.
- 30 Sep 13:25 First Arab NewsRC Egypt fact-checking platform says authorities arrest entire editorial team
- 1 Oct 11:48 +22h 23m The Straits TimesRC Egyptian police arrest all six journalists of investigative outlet via Reuters
- 1 Oct 12:52 +23h 27m The NationalN Egypt says six members of online platform 'run by Muslim Brotherhood' arrested
- 1 Oct 13:52 +24h 27m The Jerusalem PostRC Egyptian police arrest entire newsroom of investigative outlet over alleged Muslim Brotherhood ties
- 4 Oct 07:56 +90h 31m The Media LineN Egypt Arrests Entire Newsroom Over Alleged Muslim Brotherhood Ties
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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