Tag Archives: Morocco

Reality TV in Morocco

white threadReality TV isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Morocco. But, on 2M TV, one of Morocco’s most popular stations, a new chat show called “Al Khayt Al Abyad” is slowly easing Moroccan society into the world of reality television. It has “given a modern twist to old customs and taken Morocco by storm,” said John Thorne, a journalist for the National World.

The show, hosted by Nassima el Hor, is not as harsh and brash as the reality television that we are used to seeing in America. It is unusual for Moroccans to air their problems out in public. There is no shameless behavior for the sake of ratings or cheap claims to fame. However, there are some dramatic appeals that still draw viewers, but they are very limited. Sensitive topics are sometimes avoided and are definitely not poked at. Filming has also been paused in the past to allow for a fight to cool down, instead of exploiting the heat of the moment. I found this very interesting.

“Al Khayt Al Abyad” follows a Moroccan tradition that when people observe neighbors in conflict, they intervene. Intervening into other people’s business sounds a lot like the popular themes shown on American reality television. However, this show wants viewers to take away lessons on how to forgive and apologize. There is good at the heart of the drama.

It is believe that the “glare of television cameras” adds to the content of the show. People always act differently when they know that a camera is around and therefore, someone is watching. The cameras bring about a positive change in people. Instead of acting out, people are actually, surprisingly, more likely to resolve their problems with their loved ones. That is what this reality show is all about: bringing people together and resolving conflict.

It truly is interesting to see the difference in reality television between media in Morocco and America. Despite some similarities, I believe it is the culture of the nations that create the differences.

Sources:

http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/africa/moroccan-tv-shows-reveals-details-of-family-life

Cell Phone Use Among Moroccan Students

Cell Phone Use Among Students: Progress or Pandemic?

Much like in the United States, cell phone users are beginning to reach a much younger audience than ever before. Recently, Morocco has increased its use of mobile phones and, as stated in the Technological Factors blog post, Morocco’s mobile phone penetration rate has risen to 119.7%. However, with this increasing usage of mobile phones there are downsides, specifically regarding the distraction they cause in school.

According to an article written by Yassir Yousfi at Morocco World News, it has become common to see little kids using phones like adults, where they can send SMS, take pictures, use Bluetooth, watch videos, and download music — often times without parental supervision. Not only does this lack of parental supervision cause a “harmful problem” for these children in general according to Yousfi, but these mobile phone activities are occurring during class and school hours.

The Moroccan Board of Education bans the use of cell phones during school hours, but many students ignore this policy. With kids increasingly using cell phones in school, it is making it harder for teachers to reach and educate their students. As stated by Khadija –a teacher interviewed by Yousfi–:

“We are really suffering in each class from the use of cell phones among students, and this problem begins in first grade and extends until university. No sooner do I enter to the classroom and start explaining the lesson than a student is already listening to music on his phone, chatting with his friends inside or outside the classroom or, what is worse, watching video of nudity with his classmates. You can imagine I find this incredibly disturbing, as do the students who are actually in class to learn!”

Though cell phones in general provide better media access to the people of Morocco, there are many downsides as well. Much like in the United States, mobile phones often serve as a distraction in school and hinder the learning of not only the cell phone users, but the classmates that are there and ready to learn.

References:

http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/05/131303/cell-phone-use-among-students-progress-or-pandemic/

Journalist Jailed in Morocco (Post 4)

Because of how dangerous certain places can be for journalists to try and do their jobs, there is a group of people called The Committee to Protect Journalists. Earlier this year they urged Moroccan authorities to drop charges that were at that time held against a Mahmoud Lhaisan. Lhaisan is a TV journalist who was arrested in front of his home after reporting on police abuse during protests following a World Cup game.

During the protests that Lhaisan was reporting on, people were beaten and arrested, as well as police officers being injured. Moroccan government did not want this to be broadcasted in the fear of causing more disturbances.

According to the article on CPJ.org, “Lhaisan was charged with protesting illegally, obstructing traffic, and attacking police officers, according to news reports.” These accusations have no proof to support them, but are what the Moroccan government felt the reporter was doing wrong.

Protest in front of the Moroccan parliament in Rabat on January 12, 2011

The article goes on to say, “Lhaisan’s family said the journalist had been arrested in retaliation for his criticism of police abuse during the demonstrations…They said that after the journalist was arrested, police surrounded their house to discourage his colleagues from expressing solidarity with him.”

The CPJ feels that journalists should not be left responsible for what happens in the news, as it is just their job to report it. This is an issue that many of the countries we have studied currently face.

Another article by the Committee to Protect Journalists focuses on the “Attacks on the Press 2010: Morocco.” The article opens by stating, “The government continued using the judiciary to settle scores with critical journalists and pressuring private advertisers to avoid probing publications, two hallmarks of its antagonistic approach to independent and opposition media. The tactics forced two leading independent weeklies to close and a critical daily newspaper to move online.”

It is a horrible place to be in, one where you can lose your job, have a company shut down, or even face imprisonment just for simply doing the job you were asked. The Committee to Protect Journalists is working towards making this world wide issue of journalists brutality and unfairness be brought to an end.

https://cpj.org/2014/07/morocco-jails-journalist-over-coverage-of-protests.php

https://cpj.org/2011/02/attacks-on-the-press-2010-morocco.php

Morocco: Internet population v.s Internet penetration

As discussed in the class presentation and previous posts under “Media Access”, there is a huge issue with accessibility of the internet in Morocco. The chart below is a visual representation of this issue, illustrating not only an issue with internet penetration, but illustrating the gap between the population and dissemination rates.

http://image.slidesharecdn.com/ipsosarabnetpresentation-beirut2013-130325072901-phpapp02/95/ipsos-arabnet-presentation-beirut-2013-9-638.jpg?cb=1371472593

Within the North African and Middle Eastern populations, Morocco is one of the leading countries when it comes to total internet population, but it is interesting to note that this does not translate into more efficient media access in regards to Internet dissemination.

A country’s “Internet population” refers to the amount of people within that country who have used the internet in the last 12 months. Morocco’s high Internet population of over 7.7 million is a relatively positive thing for gaining more media access because it is an indicator that there is a large amount of people using the Internet. However, the issue of media access arises because the internet penetration rate is relatively low.

According to IGI Global “Internet penetration” indicates the percentage of internet users within any given country, and can alternatively be defined as “the relationship between the number of internet users in each country and its demographic area.” Though Morocco’s Internet population is high compared to other countries, it is not high among its own population once you examine the penetration percentage. Of all the people living in Morocco, only 35% of the population are internet users, meaning 65% of the population has little to no access to the internet. (This percentage has grown since this visual was made, and now rests at 55%, but is still low). As mentioned in the definition, internet dissemination is often affected based on different demographic areas, and Morocco’s high rural population is definitely a factor.

According to Trading Economics, Morocco’s rural population as of 2010 was measured at 13,834,961.4 people. Based on this factor, almost half of the population resides in rural areas. As discussed in the previous posts under “Media Access”, rural areas in Morocco are often excluded from Internet networks and coverage. Many rural inhabitants cannot access the internet because Internet providers focus on establishing networks in urban areas, which causes a huge gap in access between two different halves of the country.

References:

http://image.slidesharecdn.com/ipsosarabnetpresentation-beirut2013-130325072901-phpapp02/95/ipsos-arabnet-presentation-beirut-2013-9-638.jpg?cb=1371472593

http://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/internet-penetration/15438

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/morocco/rural-population-wb-data.html

Hopes of Strengthening Economic Relations

Morocco and Libya have been examining ways to strengthen their economic ties for quite some time. Together, the countries have been supportive of each other economically,  but Libyan and Moroccan government officials and economic analysts say there is always room for improvement.

In March 2014,  the government officials and analysts from both countries came together to discuss and evaluate their recent economic progress since 2011, when good trading and real estate investment began full-swing between the countries.

Since 2011, the trade between countries reached 900 million dirhams (almost 98.5 million U.S. dollars) and Libya’s direct investment in Moroccan real estate had spiked. Though those were signs of economic success, officials said that the numbers could have been even higher, believing that establishing concrete governments in both countries would create suitable economic conditions to promote more shared wealth between them.

Libyan businessman Mohamed Charaf agreed with government officials stating that there is a lot of unexplored potential between the two countries. He also advised that Libya and Morocco start economically partnering in sectors such as infrastructure, agribusiness and tourism.

In the past, general ties between Morocco and Libya have been present, especially after the formation of the Treaty of Oujda in the 1970s. The treaty tied Libya and Morocco together in many ways, including economically, against the other North African countries of Algeria, Tunisia, and Mauritania in a political divide that is still slightly present today.

Today, since the conference in 2011, both countries have been planning to keep expanding their economic horizons, building their relationships, and entering into new markets together. With the hopes of continuing their economic relationship, Morocco and Libya hope to enjoy the benefits in both their job markets and government profit.

With an increased job market, both countries may experience less poverty, leading to a more balanced system, higher education funding (leading to increased literacy rates) and more financial access to media systems.

source: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2014/03/18/feature-03

Ebola in Morocco (Post 3)

Ebola was a wide spread disaster in America just a few weeks ago and already we seem to have forgotten about it.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains. Ebola can cause disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees)…The natural reservoir host of Ebola virus remains unknown. However, on the basis of evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe that the virus is animal-borne and that bats are the most likely reservoir. Four of the five virus strains occur in an animal host native to Africa.”

The reason I felt this was important to post about this topic under media structure was after reading the article “Africa: Ebola Deals a Blow to Morocco’s Africa Plans” I noticed the government influence on the subject. Morocco wants to post-pone the African Cup of Nations soccer tournament which would have taken place mid-January through early-February of next year because of the fear of Ebola. This has enraged soccer fans in Africa.

It seems strange that the government, which is willing to host other large events in Morocco would be opposed to something that would surely bring attention, tourism, and stimulation to the land.  According to the article “Doctors, experts and representatives of non-governmental organisations present in the Ebola-affected countries earlier this month spoke about this issue during a discussion entitled ‘Unpacking the impact of Ebola on health systems and regional Integration,’ held at the University of the Witwatersrand medical school in Johannesburg on 11 November. The panic around Ebola is fueled by the high mortality rate, but there are many misconceptions about how it is spread, they said.” Notice that only non-governmental health officials have spoken out on the topic.

Is this an example of the governments control of the media?  Will the people in charge of posting this article come under fire for exposing a truth the Moroccan government might not want people to know?

For your entertainment, posted is a video of what the African Cup of Nations was like in 2014.

 

Sources:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201412031326.html

http://rt.com/news/203595-african-cup-ebola-morocco/

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html

From Morocco to the United States

French Montana is known by most Americans as a rapper, and that’s true. But what many people aren’t aware of is that French, born as Karim Kharbouch, was born in Morocco. He spent the first thirteen years of his life with his family growing up by Casablanca, Morocco. His family then moved to New York.

French Montana never had it easy, which is something that many rappers are known for; but he has a different story. His family struggled for money, even for food at times. When his father moved back to Morocco, French, his mother and little brother stayed, leaving him to do what he could to provide for his family. More recently, he was shot in New York. But what really makes him different? Why couldn’t French Montana find success in Morocco?

I have attached a video that shows the rapper discussing his roots in Morocco.

In this video, and many other interviews with him, he makes it clear that there wasn’t much opportunity in Morocco. But for French, rapping in Morocco was a childhood hobby. If rapping was so common, why was there such a struggle in terms of reaching success?

Personally, I believe the lack of media and lack of freedom, especially when he was younger, was the number one factor is making it difficult to succeed in Morocco. While of course there are many other factors for the struggle, I think the media is a greatly underrated cause behind the lack of opportunity for both youth and adults. Without media, the population lacks not only knowledge of opportunities, but these opportunities can’t even exist in the first place, because whoever is controlling the media and keeping this information private, is also preventing these opportunities from existing.

Financially, Morocco is much different than the United States, and I understand the difficulty of succeeding, especially in the entertainment industry, when people are struggling to afford their everyday lives. But it is interesting that not many people consider freedoms, the media and culture when looking at cases like these.

I think it’s useful to use French Montana as an example because it shows a public figure in American but gives detail and knowledge about Morocco from media to the culture. What would French Montana’s life be like if he had stayed in Morocco?

Source: http://www.thefader.com/2012/09/25/french-montana-homecoming

Shopping In Morocco

When it comes to the culture in Morocco, one of the first things that many people who have lived in or visited Morocco will tell you about are the very well-known souks. Souks are a type of marketplace located in the medina in urban, city-like areas. Just the way they are set up attracts many people. They are very crowded with a variety of interesting products visible throughout the streets, many customers and haggling salesmen.  Souks have had a long history in Morocco and have become a prominent part of the country’s culture and one of its greatest attractions.

Photo By: Jill Permadi

What is interesting is that souks have a variety of vendors and products; they have everything from clothing and jewelry, to wood products, leather and pottery. But souks are also a hot spot for locals to pick up fresh meat, beans and produce. This is the largest difference between shopping in Morocco and shopping in a Western mall. A better comparison to what we offer in the West would be a shopping center. They hold a variety of vendors with many different services and products. The crowded, fast-paced streets that hold souks can be compared to the busy streets of New York City. However, souks give you the opportunity to negotiate prices, something that many Westerners don’t typically get to do. So, in comparison to the United States, I’d say they’re a combination of a large shopping mall, with variety like a shopping center, in the form of what it would be like if Time Square was full of yard sales.

Souk vendors make a living off this overwhelming business that takes place regularly in Morocco. There is rarely a “good time” or “good strategy” when it comes to visiting the souks because there are almost always crowds and chaos. And with such a wide variety of items to meet both tourists’ and locals’ needs, they don’t seem to be declining anytime soon. In terms of the Moroccan culture, souks are what the entire country is best known for.

Source: http://www.travel-exploration.com/tour.cfm/Souks_of_Morocco

#Twitter in Libya and Morocco

Twitter is one of the most popular social media apps in the world. People everywhere have become accustomed to getting their daily news in quick, condensed bits consisting of only 140 characters. Research conducted by Portland Communication in 2011 revealed that 68% of people in Africa used twitter to monitor the news within their region. Libya had 3,096 Twitter users and Morocco had 745,620 Twitter users.

Research conducted by Portland Communications: Twitter Activity of Africa in 2011.

Research conducted by Portland Communications: Twitter Activity of Africa in 2011.

During the Libyan revolution, the government shut down traditional media and the Internet in an effort to quiet the public unrest. Individuals took it upon themselves to spread the information about current events. Twitter replaced the previous method, which was word of mouth via telephone. Twitter became one of the most reliable news sources due to Gaddafi’s manipulation of the media. This also led to the rise of social media in North Africa.

Libyan protesters took to Twitter to win over supporters and combat the patriotic propaganda that Gaddafi and his supporters were constantly broadcasting to the public. They spoke the truth about what was going on and basically had a running play-by-play of the events of the revolution. When the government failed to tell the truth, the people made sure that the correct message was out there.  A popular site for protesters to visit was libyaFeb17.com, a site where various twitter posts and media related to the Libyan revolution were congregated.

The social media impact during the Libyan revolution was so great that the New York Times was quoted to say, “Whichever side wins this media battle will probably be well on the way to ruling the country.”

Morocco was ranked 5th in Twitter users in 2011. The social media site was extremely popular among younger people in the 20-year-old range. These people will grow older with Twitter and continue to drive the growth of the social media revolution. The Portland research report also showed that most tweets were coming from cities, which makes sense because that is where the most people are, and probably a good amount of the tweet-worthy activity.

The study was conducted once again in 2014. This time Morocco and Libya do not appear on the map. This could be because they are not the most populated cities in Africa and thus do not have as much Twitter activity to be monitored. However, it will be interesting to see how the social media landscape changes as time goes on. It is inevitable that Twitter use will continue to grow and spread throughout North Africa. The link to the study is included here.

Sources:

http://www.reinventinglibya.org/blogging.php

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/world/middleeast/24iht-m24libya.html

Click to access How-Africa-Tweets.pdf

http://www.portland-communications.com/publications/how-africa-tweets-2014/

http://www.ibtimes.com/twitter-exploding-africa-continents-growing-middle-class-demands-adidas-gear-samsung-1575882

http://libyafeb17.com/

 

 

 

Morocco Uses Twitter and Other Social Medias (Post 2)

 

The above video is a prime example of Moroccans using their social media and social system freedom. For a little bit of history, “After it [Morocco] won its independence, the kingdom of Morocco was left with a deeply rooted French cultural influence that went on to provide much of the framework for its judicial, political, and educational systems. Morocco also inherited a press formed and nurtured by French journalistic traditions. Historically, French newspapers reflect particular political viewpoints and social agendas. Rather than striving for factual and unbiased news reporting, they are essentially the journalistic expression of a given political ideology”

As you can see, the people of Moroccos were used to a strict and biased media system. They were coerced into writing what would best suit the government Finally the Moroccans can speak rather freely about how they are feeling when it comes to social issues whether it is involving them or not. They get to express how they feel without the threat of the French. Even if newspapers are still heavily influenced by the French, both the paper and the internet, television and radio are coming under Moroccan control.

“With a population of 30,645,395 (2002), a GDP of $108 billion, and a literacy rate of only 44 percent, Morocco publishes 22 major daily newspapers, with an aggregate circulation of 704,000 (circulation per thousand: 27.) The press consumes 19,000 metric tons of newsprint annually. Many new dailies have appeared since 1990, and their number continues to increase. Old vanguards of the past, such as the longest-running French language daily Maroc-Soir (established in 1908) and the promonarchist Arabic language newspaper Al Mithaq Al Watani (established in 1977), have disappeared. ”

You can see that even though the French run media systems are slowly coming obsolete the newspapers are still an important factor. To me that seems strange because we use any social media form to get news nowadays. It is unusual to see new newspapers here in the United States because we are so technology obsessed.  Would you think it’s weird to see a new newspaper being published? Do you think Moroccans should work on something like an app rather than a newspaper, since technology is slowly taking over the world?
Read more: http://www.pressreference.com/Ma-No/Morocco.html#ixzz3KbReKEbH