Traditional media, citizen journalism and community radio have been important in setting the stage for change in Egypt. As the country transitions towards democracy, the media has a higher responsibility to raise awareness on political, social and cultural issues, such as expression of the right to freedom of expression. The massive use of non-professional footage by traditional channels such as Al Jazeera and the fast development of citizen blogs and websites to report on the events has brought an alternative method to hold the government and authorities accountable. Citizens, especially youth, have gained the power to express their opinion freely and can act as a counterweight to the disinformation, censorship and propaganda occasionally present in traditional media. Importantly, the audience is able to criticize content. Finally, community media offers a democratic corrective to the traditional asymmetry of information between governors and governed and between competing private agents. Predominantly organized by youth, community media programmes can address concerns forgotten by mainstream media and can bring real, grassroots change.

 
Egyptian youth have demonstrated thir hunger for change and, given some resources, the ability to identify and overcome the challenges. They require media skills, including specific community media skills, as well as ethics training. They should also be given concrete opportunities to share and discuss information. In response to this need, Horytna proposes to develop the user-generated content (UGC) of its website. This will encourage public debate, social inclusion and, ultimately, improve the Egyptian people’s access to information and right to speech.