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[image:1,l] View of the historical medina in Rabat, capital city of Morocco (crédit: Shutterstock)
Journalists do not have the right to ask questions during political programmes on TV channels, and the absence of compliance with professional standards, indicating the government has failed in the middle of its mandate to launch serious discussions on the reform of public broadcasting.
Rabat, Morocco – 1 July 2014 – For the group of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), efforts have been made to reconcile Moroccan citizens with the public media, but it noted « cases of non-compliance with the principles of diversity, professionalism, accountability and impartiality in the public media » as well as « outbidding » on national issues « of strategic importance ». The group stressed the need to respect diversity in all its forms in the public media, warning against « political instrumentalization of the media ».
For its part, the group of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) lamented the lack of political programs in the public media, or in Hassani and Amazigh languages and cultures, considering that « the government is ubiquitous on public television channels ».
The group noted in this context that « the Head of Government expresses himself extensively » during live broadcasts without the journalists having the right to ask questions, and the absence of compliance with professional standards.
For its part, the Socialist group stressed that « public media suffer from a new ideological control, » adding that the issue of public media oversteps the debate on entertainment programs broadcast by some TV channels.
Referring to the petition launched by a group of journalists, intellectuals and artists cautioning against « an attempt to obtain custody of the audiovisual sector, » the Minister of Communication, government spokesman Mustapha El Khalfi, said the petition « was sent by a production company concerned by a program on crime which will be audited by the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA), in order to impede the exercise by the Government of its constitutional and legal powers, on the pretext of trends towards hegemony », saying that « we will exercise our constitutional authority and respect the independence of the public media ».
The Socialist Group questioned the reasons why the government has failed in the middle of its mandate to launch serious discussions on the reform of public broadcasting, noting the existence of « trends towards hegemony targeting this sector, according to a certain ideology » which « attempts to assert its control over the audiovisual landscape in Morocco ».
Article translated by Malcolm Duff (www.htt.fr), a member of “Translators for Journalists”
The original article was published by La Nouvelle Tribune (Morocco)
For further details, please see:
http://www.lnt.ma/actualites/parlement-gueguerre-autour-de-la-liberte-des-medias-publics-104302.html
The sole responsibility for the content of this article lies with the translator. Translated with the kind permission of the copyright owner.