Morocco ranks second in Maghreb for World Press Freedom Index
(via cisanewsletter.com)
The World Press Freedom Index report ranked Morocco second among the Maghreb states for Press Freedom, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on December 9th.
Morocco is ranked 120th out of 180 countries overall, and has moved up nine places since 2024 with an overall score of 48.04. The political indicator—which shows the degree of autonomy that the media has from political pressure—ranks at 97th position, up 22 places from 2024.
According to the report, independent journalists in Morocco face pressure from the government, with media increasingly being controlled to reflect the authorities’ commands. It also states that there is no media pluralism in the Kingdom, disregarding the diverse opinions of the people.
Independent media only exists on social media and online, with the last independent outlet, Akhbar Al Yaoum, publishing its last issue in 2021. The report also states that the right to information has been crushed for journalists, with disinformation being the norm through the government propaganda machine.
Under Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch’s government, there have been increased judicial actions against journalists, as well as a financial influence on the media. Media outlets that are not pro-government suffer financially, and it hinders their ability to report appropriately.
In recent years, journalistic work has been constrained by the kingdom on a range of topics, including Western Sahara, the monarchy, corruption, Islam, security services, and the repression of demonstrations.
The recent case of Moroccan Journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui and the Provisional Committee also raises questions on press freedom and corruption. The Provisional Committee, which was a replacement for the National Press Council, was referred to as “a step backwards for media self-regulation” in the report.
Mauritania is the highest-ranking Maghreb state at 50th place worldwide, while Algeria ranks at the 126th place. Tunisia has ranked 129th, dropping 11 places since 2024. While Libya ranks last in the Maghreb at 137th place.
The Press Freedom report also highlighted that 43% of the total number of journalists killed were in Gaza, with Sudan also emerging as a deadly zone for journalists.
RSF, Maghrebi.org
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