Tag Archives: blogs

Digital Divide In Morocco

As the internet begins to spread all over the world, it continues to spread in Morocco as the internet has become a huge medium for the Moroccan people, especially blogging. The government does not regulate or own internet sites like they do with newspaper, radio or television, which is a draw for people. The only sites they do stop from existing in the country are ones that are affiliated with terrorists and even let rebellious sites to post and exist on the internet in Morocco. Blogs are not regulated, so the people can say their believes and opinions on a forum seen by different people without being reprimanded by the Moroccan government.

However, the internet is still a problem for some Moroccan people as there is a digital divide in the country. Some people have access to the internet, while others do not have any. The Moroccan government has been trying for some time to bridge the gap between the digital divide, but to no prevail. A survey found that wealthier people use the internet more and the country would like to make it accessible for those that do not have a high income. There have been some improvements as from 2010 to 2011, the number of internet users grew by 70 percent. Many companies want to get rid of the digital divide and are helping to work with the government to push towards a future where everyone in Morocco has access to the internet.

Sources:

http://www.oafrica.com/ict-policy/the-use-of-the-internet-in-morocco-measuring-the-new-digital-divide/

http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2012/10/12/feature-03

Overview Of Media Structure in Morocco

The country of Morocco has a diverse ownership in the way the media is owned in the country. Seventy percent of the print media is owned privately, but the government owns a good amount of the broadcast media. In the print business, magazines control most of the landscape and production, but Morocco also has a variety of newspapers that are published. Despite being privately owned, the government has helped the print business by giving aid to newspapers. In 2005, the state gave about $5 million U.S. Dollars to newspapers to help the business, which was taking a hit similar to what is happening to U.S. newspapers.

The broadcast media began taking a more privately-owned shift when the government established the High Authority of Audiovisual Communication, which allowed for independent broadcasters. One of the first television stations to take adavntage of this was 2M-TV, which was the second station in Morocco. Despite being privately owned at the time, the government now owns 80 percent of its shares. The government also owns a television station named ‘Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision.’ A privately owned station, Medi-1, is independent and one of the more popular stations in the country.

Online is a growing medium for the people of Morocco as more and more use the internet to view the news. Morocco follows the Initiative for an Open Arab Internet, which says citizens are free to browse any sites they choose, but the country still blocks some sites. Most of the blocked sites are ones that encourage radical Islamist activities and terrorism. However, Morocco does not block sites of the Polisario independence movement, which the country has been in a conflict with for 26 years. A popular tool of the internet for the Morocco people are blogs. Over the past few years, blogs have been a growing phenomenon and people use them usually for causes, which are generally not blocked by the government.

Sources:

http://www.journalismnetwork.eu/index.php/_en/country_profiles/morocco/

http://www.linktv.org/mosaic/broadcasters/morocco