CAIRO — Egypt's parliament is considering a proposal that could see the nation's already-beleaguered journalists jailed for using informal Arabic in their published work.

The proposal, introduced in October by the Arabic Language Academy in Cairo, is designed to preserve the language. It would require formal Arabic to be used in virtually all aspects of Egyptian life, including but certainly not limited to the media; all correspondence and documents of federal and local governments and all official ministries; civil service organizations and private clubs; trademarks, commodity labels and commercial data; street signs; artistic installations; all educational institutions; and discussions and presentations at symposiums, conferences, workshops and other meetings. 

The academy was founded in the 1930s specifically to develop and regulate the Arabic language. It is required by law to monitor and preserve the "integrity" of traditional Arabic and to publish an annual report on the state of the language and any "violations." In 2008, parliament gave the academy the power to impose sanctions on violators. In 2014, the academy noted what it said was a new tendency by the news media to use slang and foreign words, but stated at that time that it didn't want to "launch the sword of law in the face of this recklessness in classical Arabic."

That attitude has apparently changed. The academy's proposal has sparked concern among journalists, who fear it might actually come to fruition because it reflects the Egyptian state’s inclinations to control the media. The plan would require each media outlet to hire a state-approved language editor, ban publications in vernacular Arabic and punish violators with fines and prison sentences. Analysts and journalists consider the proposal a breach of the Egyptian Constitution, which protects the freedom of journalists.