Abd al-Latif Mahmud Hamza
- Died
- 1390 AH
- Born in
- -
Abd al-Latif Mahmud Hamza (1325–1390 AH / 1907–1970 CE) was an Egyptian literary scholar, academic, and pioneer of journalistic studies, known for works such as al-Madkhal fi Fann al-Tahrir al-Sahafi ("Introduction to the Art of Journalistic Editing") .
Education and Career
Hamza was born on 7 July 1907 in Tanna, in the province of Beni Suef, Egypt . He graduated from the Faculty of Arts at Cairo University in 1931 and received a diploma from the Higher Institute of Education, where he initially served as an instructor . He earned his doctorate from Cairo University and subsequently joined its faculty, teaching as a professor in the Department of Arabic Language .
In 1962, Hamza was appointed head of the Journalism Department at Cairo University's Faculty of Arts . On 9 November 1964, he was seconded to the University of Baghdad to head its Department of Journalism, continuing his academic and pedagogical duties there until his death .
Scholarly Contribution and Standing
Hamza's academic scholarship encompassed both classical Arabic literary history and modern journalistic theory . In literary criticism, his biographical study Ibn al-Muqaffa' (1937) analyzed the classical prose stylist through the critical framework of Hippolyte Taine, examining his subject through race, milieu, and historical moment . He also made substantial contributions to the study of the Islamic middle period in works such as al-Harakah al-Fikriyyah fi Misr fi al-Asrayn al-Ayyubi wa-al-Mamluki al-Awwal ("Intellectual Movement in Egypt during the Ayyubid and First Mamluk Eras") .
In media studies, his work al-Madkhal fi Fann al-Tahrir al-Sahafi systematized the rules and genres of journalistic writing while connecting modern reporting practice with traditional Arabic prose . Hamza taught generations of media practitioners and communication scholars, emphasizing public enlightenment, defense of truth and liberty, and principled resistance to injustice through the medium of the press .
Death
Hamza died in mid-1970 (1390 AH) following a career devoted to teaching and academic research .
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Madkhal fi Fann al-Tahrir al-Sahafi (Introduction to the Art of Journalistic Editing) is a foundational treatise on the principles and genres of journalistic writing. Completed in November 1956, the work systematizes the art of journalism and bridges modern media practice with Arabic prose traditions, covering core aspects of journalistic editing across various forms and reporting methods.