PRESS FREEDOM IN MOROCCO: a changing arenaABSTRACT
This article studies the structure of the press in Morocco, as well as its changes in light of the rules of conflict between forces with contradictory interests, positions, and expectations vis-à-vis the press. We base this approach on an observation of the historical changes that have occurred in press legislation in Morocco, in the institutional framework regulating the press, and the productive dynamics of press platforms in terms of the fight for a professional and independent press. The historical approach to the conflict situation is very important because it will show that the Moroccan public space has witnessed moments of harmony, apprehension, and tension which brought its political and media spheres out of a state of coexistence, over short periods, to enter into conflict, by risking imprisonment, by arresting newspapers or by imposing custodial sanctions on journalists, or by imposing fines on newspapers that are disproportionate with regard to their turnover, or even by deciding to prevent journalists from practicing their profession.
Key words
Morocco; Press legislation; Structure; Freedom; Conflictuality