The development of online news outlets
In 1998, Al-Ahram launched Al-Ahram online. In 1999, the Middle East News Agency -the official news agency - launched its website. In 2000, Akhbar Al Youm launched its digital version and Al Gomhuria did the same a year later.
An alternative to censorship
The Al-Sha'ab newspaper published by the Labor Party appeared online in 2000 after the Egyptian government stopped printing it. This was followed by the website of Al-Ahali newspaper affiliated with the Tagammu party, Al Obsou private website, Al-Akhbar and Akhbar Al-Adab, Al-Masa and Al-Elm magazine, all by the State-owned Dar El Tahrir for Printing and Publishing.
The BBC also published an Arabic version of its website in 1998; Inform private company launched its website "Ocean" news, which contained a special section of the news of Egypt; the Wafd Party launched the site of its newspaper in 2000; then El-Masrawy website, which provided many services including news. Egypt Today magazine launched its website in 1998. It is one of the oldest English-language magazines in Egypt.
New news sites appeared in this period, such as Afaq Arabia, a weekly newspaper that was close to the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Shabab Masr website, which was launched in 2003 as electronic site without a hard copy. It was launched after the Political Parties Committee refused to establish a political party by the same name. The website of Al-Mawqaf Al-Arabi, published by Dar Al-Mawqif Al-Arabi, and the website of the international policy journal published by the Al-Ahram Establishment were launched as well.
During this period, Al Mesreyoon site emerged as a news site with no hard copy paper, and, also in 2005, El-Fagr weekly independent newspaper launched its website; Al-Masry Al-Youm launched its independent site, which provides a digital version of the newspaper paper. Kefaya site was launched, of the Egyptian Movement for Change, which provided expert content in addition to covering the activities of the movement and a forum for discussion. The liberal Ghad Party also launched a website for its newspaper, as well as Radio Al Ghad on the Internet during the presidential elections. The Muslim Brotherhood also launched an Arabic-language news site under the name of "Ikhwan Online" in 2003 and another site in English under the name of "Ikhwan Web”. The United Copts website was launched in 2004 to provide news content related mostly to religiously-oriented stories.
As regards news and press sites, Al-Dostor newspaper launched its website in 2007; the newspaper was one of the Egyptian newspapers attributed to the opposition and had a wide distribution. Al-Masry Al-Youm for Press and Publishing launched its website to provide news services that differed from paper-based versions. Al-Wasat Party, which was then under construction, launched a news website called Al-Wasat; Radyo Horeytena a website of an Egyptian civil society organization, and the English-language Daily News Egypt, belonging to a private company. In 2008, Al Youm Al Sabee launched its website carrying news content that was different from its hard copy, and El Shorouk Publishing house launched its electronic site Al Shorouk.
After the revolution several news and press sites appeared: Al Masry Al Youm launched an English version by the name of Egypt Independent, Al Mostaqbal group created Al Watan website; Al Tahrir institution launched Al Tahrir Al Ekhbary; in addition to DotMasr and Al Bedaya, as private websites. Journalists said to be affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood founded "RASSD News Network". Later, important sites took various forms of ownership and profit models different from what was prevalent, such as Mada Masr.