Moroccan National Media: Between Change and Status Quo

The pro-democracy protests of the Moroccan Spring provided the national media with an open season that could not last long. Then, entrenched ‘untouchable’ topics were debated in the public realm, including those related to the King’s centralised power; today, journalists work in a climate of control over the media fuelled by anti-terrorism slogans and the popularisation of the model of the journalist as defender of the status quo, in the name of ‘patriotism’. Today, self-censorship habits are widespread, and journalists fear retribution not only for what they produce but also for their political views. With media investment linked to political and ideological agendas, engagement in support of democratic values is not a priority for Moroccan journalists.