Tag Archives: Newspapers

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

Social Media is Reshaping News in Morocco

 

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It’s no secret that the newspaper and the traditional newscasts are becoming outdated here in the United States. This is also the case in Morocco. Conventional news media such as the newspaper and newscast have been called “passé” in their region. With social media on the rise worldwide, Morocco is not going to be left behind. In the Arab Spring region in general, social media has blown up, giving the citizens the opportunity to share news. Morocco gives its citizens the right to use websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Social media is so quick and so easily updated that journalists constantly find themselves searching for new information to give their audiences something they don’t know yet. Regular people can announce and follow major events on their personal social media profiles.

Before social media, it was the major news outlets job to announce the big stories on the front page of the paper or with a breaking news story. People love social media because of the interaction and quick updates. However, experts in communication warn that accuracy sometimes isn’t always up to speed in social media posts but with professional journalism, accuracy is always the priority. With all the war and violence going on in the Northern African region it is vital that the information being given out to people is 100 percent correct. People’s lives and safety could be at stake if something is reported wrong or if something starts trending that a lot of people do not like.

The world of social media definitely complicates the life of journalists but they will learn to adjust as technology and communication techniques evolve. I think it is so interesting that social media is affecting a country such as Morocco the same way that it is affecting the United States. The media systems in both countries are changing and growing as social media becomes more popular and usable.

Sources:

http://www.moroccotomorrow.org/social-media-reshaping-news/

http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics/morocco

All About Morocco and Egypt

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The Kingdom of Morocco is located on the west coast of Northern Africa in a mountainous area known as the Arab West.  It has a population of about 32.6 million people and the most practiced religion is Islam. The political system in Morocco is a constitutional monarchy consisting of a king who holds most of the power and a bicameral parliament. The government owns the radio and television in Morocco. In addition, Moroccan citizens have access to over 2,000 Moroccan and foreign publications. The newspaper was the first major news publication in the country. Since the rise of the Internet, daily news is able to updated on the websites and many people follow it there. The journalists in Morocco are technically allowed to practice self-censorship meaning they have the freedom to report what they want to. However, this is only tentative though, because in the past it has been rule of thumb to avoid covering controversial political and social issues.

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Egypt is located on the edge of Northeast Africa and is the world’s largest Arab nation. The population consists of around 83.9 million people and the most practiced religion is also Islam. The Egyptian government is a republic, which is considered a representative democracy so the elected officials make the decisions instead of the citizens. Egypt is a major source for media in its Arab-speaking region because of the huge population and the independence from the government. Many people read their press and the TV industry supplies a lot of material for that region of the world. In Egypt, the most popular way to get news is through the television. Cairo, Egypt is the popular television hub among the Arab countries because of its use of satellite television. In the Egyptian constitution, it states that the freedom of the media is guaranteed, however this is not carried out the way it would seem. There are many laws and problems against this and the people are far from having freedom of the media.

 

Sources:      http://www.mongabay.com/reference/new_profiles/295mo.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14123019

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13313373

http://www.al-bab.com/media/freedom.htm