فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Rabat – The Executive Bureau of the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers has expressed its “surprise” at what it described as the “continued exclusion of a part of the representative components of the media” in issues of utmost importance to both the sector and society, most notably press laws.
In a statement issued by the Federation following its regular periodic meeting on Friday, May 16, 2025, it clarified that “most professional organizations” are unaware of the content of the current press laws residing with the General Secretariat of the Government, considering this “contrary” to the established practice since the first media conference in 1993, the Skhirat Forum in 2005, the Society and Media Dialogue in 2010, and the Scientific Committee in 2012, where the involvement of various stakeholders was customary.
The Executive Bureau of the Federation deplored what it described as the “unprecedented atmosphere in the history of managing the media sector in our country legally, economically, and organizationally,” considering that this situation represents “the worst-case scenarios for dealing with the existential crisis of the national press.”
The Federation also expressed its “surprise” at the continued “exclusionary approach” in various files, noting that “the result so far in the field of qualification and moralization of the sector is frightening by the consensus of all professionals” in the face of the “dominance of defamation, the challenge of moralization, the collapse of the newspaper distribution system, and the decline of paper sales to shameful levels, along with unprecedented fragmentation and disunity within the national professional body.”
Regarding public support, the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers affirmed that it is “a means of assistance and not the sole source of life for newspapers,” and “sounded the alarm about its new conception that contradicts the law,” expressing its “regret” at the continuation of the same “management approach” when announcing the submission of support applications “without rectifying the shortcomings of the ministerial decision, except for the reintegration of small enterprises.” Moreover, the committee for studying support applications, which for 20 years included representatives from various publishers, “this time was intended to be represented by a single affiliation, which undermines not only pluralism but also the credibility of the work of a committee that is supposed to be a committee for all and not for some.”
The Executive Bureau affirmed that “despite all these transgressions, it will be keen to follow up on this process with all its partners to provide the minimum conditions for the rational management of support files in a way that achieves transparency and equal opportunities within a framework of responsibility, sobriety, and elevation.”
In another context, the Executive Bureau noted the “reality and fate of the self-regulatory institution,” warning of the imminent end of the mandate of the interim committee appointed by the government, and called for “the immediate preparation for the organization of new elections in accordance with the law and in respect of the spirit of Article 28 of the Constitution,” holding the relevant ministry, the head of government, and the General Secretariat of the Government responsible for this.
The Executive Bureau announced its decision to begin preparations for the general assemblies of the regional branches and to organize outreach activities and internal training workshops in parallel across the various regions of the Kingdom.
On another front, the Bureau extended its “greetings and appreciation” to the Moroccan Association of Sports Press for the “brilliant success” of the International Sports Press Association Congress hosted by the association in Rabat, and hailed its initiatives and unifying efforts through the establishment of the Federation of Sports Press Associations, hoping that “the rationality of the association and its partners will lead to the qualification of the national sports press and the overcoming of its various shortcomings, contributing to the success of the global and continental sporting events that Morocco will organize.”
In conclusion, the Executive Bureau of the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers reiterated its “appreciation for the continued cooperation and joint work with its professional allies and partners,” and called on the remaining organizations to “strive to unify the professional body within a productive, rational, and serious dialogue.”
