فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Casablanca, February 24, 2025 – The heads of the regional branches of the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers held a meeting on January 31, 2025, attended by members of the executive office, to discuss recent developments related to the new system of public support for the press. They expressed their outright rejection of the Ministry’s regional support project, describing it as “provocative, regressive, and disappointing.”
The branch heads emphasized that the Ministry of Communication has continued to make unilateral decisions without involving the Federation, despite it being the only professional organization representing newspaper publishers and encompassing the vast majority of regional press enterprises. They noted that this approach contradicts the principle of participatory governance enshrined in the Constitution.
They also criticized the ambiguity of the agreement presented to regional councils, which has made it difficult for these elected bodies to make decisions. They stressed that the Ministry’s move reveals a clear disengagement from its responsibilities toward the regional press, effectively excluding it from the public support system, despite the government decree stipulating that regional press is an integral part of this system.
The branch heads pointed out that the Federation had previously succeeded in formulating partnership agreements with several regional councils, such as Tangier, Dakhla, and Agadir, but the sector minister intervened and halted their implementation using unconvincing bureaucratic justifications. They added that the current project proposes meager amounts for regional support, making it even less than the lump-sum support previously received by some regional press enterprises.
They also expressed concern that the project restricts press enterprises to marketing for the regions, turning support from promoting readership into transforming the press into mere advertising and propaganda agencies. They warned that this threatens press freedom and pluralism, especially with the absence of professionals from the proposed monitoring committee, which is dominated by the Ministry and the regional council.
The branch heads called on regional councils and local authorities not to rush into adopting the Ministry’s project and to ensure that the government fulfills its legal and financial responsibilities toward the regional press. They also emphasized the need to enhance the contribution of regional press to economic growth and to establish institutional mechanisms to support it and protect jobs in the sector.
In a related context, the branch heads criticized the complex procedures imposed by the Interim Committee for Managing Press Affairs for renewing professional cards, stating that they create unnecessary tensions and hinder the work of press enterprises.
In conclusion, the branch heads affirmed that closing the door to dialogue and excluding the Federation from any consultations renders unilateral decisions illegitimate and incapable of achieving genuine reform for the struggling press sector. They called on the government and the relevant ministry to take responsibility and intervene to correct this course.
