The channel is facing widespread backlash after giving airtime to a man accused in the viral harassment case and presenting him in a positive light.
As widely known, the bus harassment incident sparked nationwide anger and opened serious conversations about safety and accountability last week. But what shocked many even more was what happened next. Al Hadath Al Youm, an Egyptian media outlet, invited the accused man for a televised interview, giving him space to speak at length while the case remains under investigation.
Social Media and viewers were stunned by the tone of the segment. Instead of prioritizing the gravity of harassment allegations, the appearance felt to many like an attempt to reshape his image.
The backlash was immediate.
The interview did not happen after a verdict. It took place while legal procedures are still ongoing. That detail alone is what we cannot ignore. Hosting someone accused in a harassment case before the judiciary reaches a conclusion raises serious concerns about influence and narrative control. How was this approved? How did it pass by a whole channel’s crew and no one was concerned over the episode?
Media appearances can shape public perception long before courts do. By offering him a national platform, the channel arguably inserted itself into a sensitive legal and social matter. For many viewers, the question is simple: why give someone like that, and not the victim, a microphone at this stage?
Public anger wasn’t just about the invitation itself, but about the way the segment was handled. Many on social media felt the framing leaned more toward restoring his image than holding him to account.
In cases involving harassment, tone matters. Language matters. Framing matters. The concern that this approach risks minimising the broader issue and shifting sympathy away from victims who already face immense pressure when speaking publicly.
The Message It Sends Across Media
Media platforms are not neutral spaces. Media moments like this don’t just pass by. They help shape how people think and what they accept. When someone facing harassment allegations is shown in a flattering or sympathetic light, the message can feel mixed at best.
For survivors, it may come across as if accountability is taking a back seat to reputation repair. For the broader audience, it can quietly reinforce the idea that controversy guarantees visibility.
And the conversation has clearly outgrown this one TV appearance. What started with a single segment on Al Hadath Al Youm has now turned into a wider discussion about media responsibility and the lines between coverage, platforming, and public accountability.
It has reopened discussions about media ethics, oversight, and the responsibility that comes with influence.
In a case that already triggered public frustration, the interview poured fuel on the fire. The audience was already familiar with the incident. What they did not expect was to see the accused positioned as a media guest so quickly.
Changing Public Behavior and victimhood
Some men are now seeing themselves as the victims and targets of false reports, which lead to claims in social media that men are changing their behavior in public.
You’d think the change is to just mind their own business, but in fact it’s claims that they’re booking two seats in public transportations so they’d avoid sitting next to women. The post saying these claimed showed a man lying down on two seats while a woman is standing in the bus.
Media Council Takes Action Over Al Hadath Al Youm
Following the episode aired on February 14, 2026, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, approved a recommendation to suspend the program. The program, presenter Sara Hadi, and the guest accused of harassment are now barred from appearing on-air until investigations conclude. This move signals the regulator’s zero-tolerance approach to the mishandling of sensitive harassment cases in Egyptian media.
