Known for its diversity, the Moroccan print media have witnessed, these last years, a deep mutation marked by the renewal and modernization of its equipments (computerization, color paper, etc...), the hiring of young executives, the gradual revamping of its articles and design and the increase of the number of published pages. After it reached this new maturity, the Moroccan written press has attracted a much-awaited interest of financial circles and the private sector, resulting in the appearance of new dailies and magazines.

In addition to the substantial state subsidy, the injection of new capital has given to the written media the status of a full-fledged component of the industrial and commercial fabric.

The outstanding and new highlight of these last years was the creation of press enterprises and groups and publishing companies with a new repartition of roles between general and specialized papers (economy, women, computers, sports, arts, decoration, medicine, youth, etc ...)

These new papers have enriched the newsstands together with a wide range of traditional publications belonging to various political parties and movements and which have also initiated, at various degrees, initiatives to revamp and increase their professionalism.

The majority of the Moroccan publications are issued in Arabic and French: 448 in Arabic and 164 in French. However, the Amazighe language is also gaining ground with five publications, followed by Spanish with one publication.

From 618 publications, there are 26 daily newspapers, 254 monthly magazines, 136 weekly magazines, 78 semi-monthlies, 51 periodicals and 73 non-regular publications.

Although 50% of publications are concentrated on the Kenitra-Casablanca axis, the regional press, however, is increasingly gaining ground especially in the regions of Tangier (34 publications), Fez (21), Marrakesh (23), Meknes (15), Oujda (8), Nador (11), Beni Mellal (10).

The diversity of leanings is another characteristic of the Moroccan press. 26 of the 618 publications are published by political parties.
However, the private press has not ceased to develop since a few years. Consequently, publications of every hue are issued by private individuals.

The Moroccan press is also very diversified in terms of the fields approached.

General news remain dominating with 28,64%, but specialized publications are also emerging in the fields of economics, culture, sport, sciences, education, entertainment, tourism, women, etc.

This qualitative and quantitative development was achieved thanks to a long process whose beginnings go back to the 19th century.

First publications

The first newspaper appeared in Morocco in 1877. It was the weekly English-language "Maghreb Al Aksa". However, it was only until the beginning of 1908 that publications started to appear in Tangier, Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes and Fez. "L’ Echo du Maroc" and «la Vigie Marocaine", to mention only two, were published by the French to serve the interests of the protectorate. This same reason paved the way for the setting up in 1920 of the press group “Mas”  in Casablanca which issued "Farmhouse" will be born in 1920 in Casablanca which issued the two general new dailies "Le petit marocain" and "l'Echo du Maroc".

The first initiative of the Moroccan nationalists regarding this issue was taken by Mohamed Al Ouazzani who founded "L'action du peuple", a weekly French language newspaper in 1933. Abdekhalek Torres and Mohamed Bennouna issued two publications in Arabic in the city of Tetouan "Al Salam" and “Al Hayat”.

The three publications in addition to those which came later adopted almost the same leading line by stressing the reform complaints and claims that the nationalists addressed to the colonial powers: France and Spain.

After independence, the Moroccan press witnessed considerable progress with the growth of the number of publications in Arabic and French. Foreign press published in Morocco also continued to appear.

The press code promulgated on November 15, 1958 endorsed the freedom of expression and editing as guaranteed by the Constitution.

National Union of the Moroccan Press

Contract Program for the modernization of the Newspaper industry