Morocco media guide
- Published
Laws prevent the press from touching some topics
Media control is concentrated in the hands of the political and business elite. The royal family is an influential stakeholder in an array of media companies, as are a handful of powerful business figures.
Most news and media content is consumed in Arabic, with an increasing prevalence of Darija, the Moroccan Arabic dialect, while the leading business publications are in French.
The state controls most domestic broadcasting, while establishment business figures own much of the press; ownership of online media is more diverse, but less transparent.
The large number of media outlets does not equate to a free media environment, and most follow a pro-establishment viewpoint. The newspaper sector has long faced dwindling revenues and readership
A few independent, critical outlets are active, despite intense pressure from the authorities.
Social media use has increased rapidly; Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube are the most popular platforms.
Some criticism of government policies and the economic situation is permitted, but the monarchy and Morocco's policies in Western Sahara are editorial red lines.
Morocco has one of Africa's highest rates of internet penetration. There were 34.5 million internet users by September 2024, comprising 90.7% of the population (Statista.com).
Online
Alyaoum24, external - largely follows the establishment line
Akhbarona, external - Arabic-language website based in Tetouane, focuses on politics, economy and society with a pro-establishment line
Hespress, external - Arabic version is Morocco's most-visited online news outlet by a significant margin
Le 360, external - in Arabic and French, covering politics and economics with a particular focus on criticism of Morocco's international rivals
Le Desk, external - French-language site, Morocco's leading investigative outlet
Morocco World News, external - English-language site based in New York
Press
Al-Ayyam, external - Casablanca-based privately-owned Arabic weekly
Assabah, external - Casablanca-based newspaper
Le Matin, external - (also known as Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb), a Casablanca-based French-language daily, its online version is among the most visited media outlets
L'Economiste, external - Casablanca-based French-language business and financial daily
Telquel, external - influential and authoritative privately-owned French-language weekly, anti-Islamist and one of the few remaining publications critical of the political establishment, discusses socially sensitive topics such as homosexuality and anti-government protests
Television
2M, external - Casablanca-based, partly state-owned
Al Maghribia, external - satellite channel operated by RTM and 2M, aimed at Moroccans living abroad
Chouf TV, external - describes itself as Morocco's first "web TV", runs a livestream and YouTube channel, has largest social media following of all Moroccan outlets
Medi 1 TV, external - Tangier-based satellite channel, privately-owned by Moroccan and French concerns
Societe Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Television (SNRT), external - operates state-run Television Marocaine (TVM)
Tele Maroc, external - launched by outspoken journalist Rached Niny after being denied a broadcasting licence, broadcasts from Madrid thus escaping compliance with Moroccan regulations
Radio
Medi 1, external - Tangier-based, privately-owned by Moroccan and French concerns, programmes in Arabic and French
Societe Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Television (SNRT), external - state-run, operates national networks in Arabic, French and regional services
News agency
Maghreb Arab Presse (MAP), external - state-run, English-language pages