Print journalism in Morocco: From the pre-colonial period to the present day

Abstract

Print journalism today represents one of the most influential media of communication in Morocco. This article derives its relevance from the fact that the history of print journalism in Morocco has not been covered thoroughly, especially in English. On the contrary, much ink has been shed on the press in the contemporary Morocco, without focusing sufficiently on the precolonial as well as the colonial circumstances that led to the establishment of a solid journalism infrastructure in the country. This article is but an attempt to bring to the fore the history of the Moroccan press and to discuss it within the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial contexts. It is divided into two sections. The first one deals with the press before and during colonialism, while the last one mainly discusses the Moroccan press in its contemporary context, relating it to multiple issues such as censorship, self-censorship, and democratization.