Prof. Abderrahmane Azzi ©
Department of Communication
IIUMalaysia
Department of Communication
IIUMalaysia
11
June 1998
Introduction
The Grand Maghrib(*)
includes Morocco , Algeria and Tunisia . Morocco
is a kingdom of western North Africa . Its 1995
estimate population is 29,161,000(1) [the total area is 171,834 square miles]. Morocco is bounded on the north by the
Mediterranean Sea , on the west by the Atlantic Ocean , on the east by Algeria , and on the south by Western Sahara and Mauritania . Algeria is a
republic. Its 1995 estimate population is 28,539,000 [the total area is 919,590
square miles, it is the second largest country in Africa ].
Algeria is bounded on the
north by the Mediterranean Sea; on the west by Morocco ,
Western Sahara, and Mauritania ;
on the east by Tunisia and Libya ; and on the south by Niger and Mali . Tunisia is a republic. Its1995
estimate population is 8,8 80,000 [the total area is 63,378 square miles]. Tunisia is bounded on the north and
the east by the Mediterranean Sea, on the west by Algeria , and on the south by Libya . The
great majority of the population in the GM (**) are Sunni Mu slims of
Arab-Berber descent. The Europeans, who before independence accounted
for 10 percent of the total in Algeria ,
now are well below 1 percent of the population in that country. There are small
Christian and Jewish minorities in Morocco and Tu nisia. Arabic
language is the official language in the region, but French is widely spoken
among the elite and a sizable part of the population speaks Berber language.
Historical
Highlights
The
media (***) in the GM, particularly the print media , are the product of at
least two historical components: colonialism and post-independence conditions.
These factors, once integrated into a coherent approach, represent the unique
characteristics o f media in this part of the Muslim world. The media in the GM
can roughly be divided into the following main historical periods. The first
periods extends from the era of colonial rule in the first half of the 19th
century until the first decade of the 2 0th century. This period was
characterized by the introduction and the growth of colonial papers whether
directly controlled by French authorities or owned by French and other European
settlers; few papers belonged to "indigenous"(2) Muslims. The secon d
period starts from the 1910s until the thirties of this century. This period is
celebrated by the emergence of papers published by Muslims under the strict
control of the colonial administration. The third period begins from the 1930s
and ends up when the states of the GM accessed to independence in the fifties
and the sixties. This period saw the rise of Muslim nationalist press (many
were underground) pertaining to different parties struggling to advance the
cause of independence. The last period begins in the early 1960s and extends to
the present time. This latter period gave the press new dimensions and
functions, among which was the advancement of government economic, social and
cultural policies or what was called at that time media's parti cipation in
national development.
The press in the GM, as
mentioned, was introduced by the colonizers in the early part of the 19th
century. The Muslims have known many forms of print communication throughout
history. The closest form to modern journalism was Al Rihla: a journ
alistic and historical account of one's observations and experiences during a
long journey to other countries or to El Hadj in Mecca . The most noted "Rihlas"
in this part of the Muslim world are Rihlat Ibn Batouta and Rihlat El
Wartilani(3). However, the press, as known today, was probably a Western
invention. That is, the press, as Ihaddaden(4) puts it, is an imported
phenomenon (5). The first paper in the GM was Africa
liberal, a Spanish paper published in Sebta, Moroc co around 1820. This was
followed by l' Estafette de Sidi Ferrudj which appeared to serve
as a means of communication among the soldiers of the crusade when the city of Algiers fell in the hands
of colonizers in 1830. The first paper in Arab ic was Al Mubahir (6)
which was published in 1847
in Algeria .
This latter paper is considered the third paper to be published in Arabic in
the Arab World (7). The first papers, published in French , mainly addressed
the concerns of colonial instit utions and European settlers. There were some
papers such as AL Mubashir of Algeria (1847), Al Raid Al Tunisia
of Tunisia (1861) and Al Maghrib of Morocco (1886) which included few
pages in Arabic , but these papers were founded e ssentially to communicate
with the local population on colonial administration's restrictive and
oppressive laws and policies.
The presence of the
colonial press has caused the Muslims to give serious attention to the role
such a medium can play in strengthening people's attachment to their culture
and heritage or "shakhsia Islamia" (Islamic identity) which was
severely disi ntegrated by the colonial process of dislocation, incorporation
of land and persecution. The Muslims, however, were not able to use this medium
throughout the 19th century for obvious reasons. The press law of 1881
considered Arabic language as a foreign language in the French colonies
including the GM (articles 4 an 6 of the above law). Printing in Arabic and the
importation of Arabic papers and documents were considered serious violations
of the law and thus could not be permitted (8). This law also postulated that
only those enjoying civil rights were permitted to issue a publication. The
Muslims were apparently required to seek French nationality and adopt French
language and culture to possibly acquire such rights. This undertaking was
rejected b y the majority of the Muslims who actually sought to use the press
to preserve their Islamic identity and affinity with the Muslim Ummah.
The Muslim press emerged
during the early decade of the 20th century defying colonial rule. This period
saw the rise of an educated Muslim elite (in Arabic, French, or both) who
sought to use the press and other original channels such as "Nawadi"
(cl ubs) to revive Muslim culture and reconcile modernity "hadatha"
within the framework of an Islamic identity "assala." The early
papers were banned right after the first issue, i.e., El Haq,1893, of
Hadj Omar, Al Maghrib,1903, of Said Zahiri , etc.
The first World War
dramatically affected the Muslims who were forced to participate in the war
efforts in great numbers. The war exposed the Muslims to the outside
environment where they became aware of many Muslim nationalist movements such
as "Misr El Fatat" (the young Egypt )
in Egypt .
This emerging Muslim elite tried then to form a united block to advance the
cause of Muslims, i.e., the paper of El Ikdam, 1921, published by Emir
Khaled in Algeria (the paper was banned and Emir Khaled, the l eader of this
movement in Algeria, was forced into exile in Syria).
The third period, which
began during the late 1920s, saw the rise of a Muslim nationalist press
pertaining to different political orientations mostly Islahi (reformist) and
nationalist. This press advocated reforms, democratic rights and independence
from colonial rule. This press was repressed and many papers went underground
as the movement and the liberation struggle for independence began in the early
1950s.
The last period is the
post-independence era where the media became an instrument for political
legitimatization and indoctrination or what is called in the official discourse
"national social and economic development." This "developmental
"role was l ater undermined as the media became merely a spokesman for the
ruling elite to the exclusion of the general public who became apathetic in
relation to media content in this part of the Muslim world.
The current media system
in the GM is a centralized press system. That is, the electronic and print
media perform functions under government control and constraint. The little
media autonomy which may exist applies mainly to print media, although the
prevailing situation indicates that there is an inclination to slowly move away
from total government control. The private and independent press lacks
journalistic traditions and is subject to political pressures from government
and economic restraints f rom the social and economic shortcomings of the
environment in general.
The GM has moderate level
of literacy ( 50-65% )(9) and newspaper circulation, except to some extent that
of Algeria ,
is low (16 to 49 copies of daily papers per 1,000 people) (10). The print media
usually direct themselves to the urban elite whi ch is heterogeneous and
exhibits different modes of norms, habits, tongues, and sensibilities, although
the electronic media (radio and television) have reached almost every part of
the GM. The French influence in the countries of the GM still is visible and
high even after four decades of independence (1962-1996). Today, many major
dailies in these countries are published in French; El Moudjahid (350,000 in circulation) (11) in Algeria , l'Opinion (50,000) in Morocco and La Presse (50,000) in Tunisia . The
print media published in Arabic are nonetheless witnessing, not without
difficulty, great gains both quantitatively and qualitatively, i.e., Al
Mouharrir (50,000) in Morocco, Al Chaab (120,000) in Algeria, and Essabah
(70,000) in Tunisia (12).
A review of literature
on international communication shows that there is little written about the
mass media in the GM. Lowenstein's survey, known as the Press Independence and
Critical Ability (PICA), gives different appreciation of press freedom in the
countries of the GM. Morocco is ranked among countries that are free with many
controls, Algeria among the countries whose press is controlled to a high
degree, and Tunisia among countries which have a controlled press system to a
low degree (13).
The PICA survey gives
some indications as to the nature of media's relation to government. However,
the survey relies exclusively on the concept of freedom which is a
controversial term and presents many difficulties in cross cultural
comparisons. T he press system is considered free only when it is not controlled
by government whereas journalism practices in many cultures show that press
control can be exercised by either government (as in authoritarian states) or
corporate and financial interests (as in the liberal world).
The rankings of press
autonomy done by Freedom House, gives Tunis a
rate of 5 and Algeria
6 (1 as least constraint and 7 as most constraint)(14). This ranking is quiet
indicative, but tends to be too general to provide a reliable account of the
workin g mechanisms, the different forms of social control and the relative
autonomy of some print media vis-à-vis other media in the GM.
The Rugh's
classifications of the Arab press (the mobilizing, the loyalist, and the
diversity system) are represented in the GM. The mobilizing system in Algeria is
characterized by a high degree of government control over the press; the press
went through the process of nationalization during the early years of
independence and then became an instrument for government policies. The
loyalist system in Tunisia
makes the press support the government in spite of the fact that the press is
mostly privately owned. The diversity system in Morocco insures some degree of
autonomy from government control. (15).
Rugh's study is probably
the most extensive and comprehensive analysis of the Arab press in general. The
author was able not only to describe thoroughly the different aspects that
shape the development of the Arab press but to develop a theory which gives the
Arab press a unique position in relation to the existing theories of the press,
namely the authoritarian, the libertarian, the communist and the social
responsibility. Rugh's study, however, was partly simplistic and contains
generalities which do not reflect the diversity and the complexity of the many
facets of the press in the GM. I outlined, in a lengthy review of Rugh's study
(16) , basic critics of Rugh's approach in terms of form and content, among
which are the dominance of one variable in the analysis of the Arab press
(media's relation to government), the inability to uncover the depth of
cultural bonds that unify regional groups of states within the Arab World such
as the GM, the Eastern Arabia, the Golf states, etc. and understandably the
simplification of some historical events.
John Merrill, in a recent
reference, argues that the "prevailing trends in the region could send the
media off in several directions." He notes the "proliferation of
electronically delivered information and entertainment throughout the
region." This, he argues, provides alternatives to the limited choices
previously available, a fact which is breaking former government monopolies of
information. (17)
Literature by
non-Westerners on press development in the countries of the GM is scarce.
Ihaddaden cites a dozen of studies on press history in Algeria (18),
most of which tend to be descriptive and historical such as the one conducted
by Zubir Seif Islam(19).
Print Media
The first newspaper in Morocco was a Spanish paper entitled Africa
Liberal which was published in the town of Sebta around 1820. The first paper in Arabic,
however, was Al Maghrib which appeared 1886. Tafasca notes that the
number of papers published in Morocco
between 1820 and 1912 exceeded 50 titles, most of them were owned by European
settlers and published in French or Spanish language (20).
The contemporary press
in Morocco
goes back to the thirties of this century with the rise of nationalist parties.
The modern press history can be traced precisely to World War II (21). In 1944,
The Istiqlal Party, which led the country to independence, started its own two
papers ; Al Alam in Arabic and l 'Opinion in French. The two
papers were anti-French colonialism and advocated Muslims' rights and
independence. The French-owned company, Mas Group, had the two biggest dailies:
la Vigie
and Le Petit Marocain. The two papers, according to Rugh, were more
informative than politically oriented and tended to concentrate on local news
and Morocco 's relations with
France
(22). Tafasca, on the other hand, argues that the two papers were very devoted
to the French administration in Morocco.(23). The two papers ceased to exist in
1971.
Today, there are a dozen
dailies in Morocco .
Le Matin, a private newspaper, is the largest. The dailies in Morocco
generally are privately owned and have a relatively moderate rate of
readership. The press in Morocco
can be divided into three types; pro-government, critical and anti-government
newspapers. The pro-government dailies are represented by the followings: le
Matin and Maroc Soir, established by a former Minister and a
relative of the King, Al Mithaq Al Watany and Al Maghrib,
established by a onetime Prime Minister, and Al Anba, published by the
Ministry of Information. The dailies critical of the government are Al Alam
and l'Opinion of the Istqlal Party. The anti-government dailies are Al
Muharrir, of the Socialist Union of the Popular Forces, and Al Bayan
(one edition in Arabic and another in French) , of the Progress an Socialism
Party. The anti-government dailies are more likely to suffer from government
restrictions than others. The distribution of foreign press in Morocco is
extensive. The number of foreign newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals
distributed in Morocco
today is 1021 titles. Most of this press comes from France (653 titles),
followed by Egypt (73), then comes Lebanon, Spain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Italy,
Germany , England and Syria. The countries that contribute with less than 10
titles are Qatar , United
Emirate, the United States , Portugal , Holland
and Switzerland .
(25).
The press in Algeria
appeared during the early years of colonialism. Ihaddaden describes different
types of press affiliations during the 19th century and the first half of the
twentieth century; a) the official press (French administration) which was
first directed to settlers, soldiers of the expedition, etc. and later to local
Muslims to provide instructions on official policies i.e., Al Akhbar,1837
and Al Mubashir which started in 1847; b) the colonial press which
reflected the views of the French and other European settlers, c) the Muslim
press which belonged to local individuals or groups such as Al Haq which
appeared in 1893 in
the city of Annaba and Al Misbah which began in 1904 in the city of Oran, and
d) the nationalist press brought about by the rise of Muslim nationalist
parties beginning with Al Ouma in 1930. (26).
The first Muslim paper
(owned and published by individual Muslims) was Al Haq which appeared in
the city of Annaba
in 1893. The paper exposed the sufferings of the Muslims and criticized the
oppressive policies to expropriate the lands of the Muslims. The paper was soon
banned. This paper was the precursor of Muslim press in Algeria . It was
followed by many papers at the turn of this century such as El Farrouq and
Al Siddiq of Omar Ibn Kaddour Al Jazairi, Thu El Fekar, of Omar
Racim, etc. (27).
The early 1920s saw the
return of many Muslim intellectuals graduated from such prominent religious
institutions as Al Azhar (Egypt )
and Al Zaytuna (Tunisia ).
These intellectuals, led by Cheikh Abdelhamid Ibn Badis, initiated a national
reformist movement never witnessed before in the recent history of Algeria . The
movement sought to revive the Muslim culture, unveil those non-Islamic rituals
and myths practiced by many sects of Zawaya (traditional religious schools),
and awaken the hearts and minds of the Muslims to seek better enlightened
understanding of Islam and preserve their Islamic identity in the face of
colonial attempts to eliminate this dimension and assimilate the Muslims into
the colonial culture. This elite put priority on education by establishing
educational institutions (madrassa) to create an Islamic renaissance similar to
that initiated by such prominent reformers as Mohamed Abdou and Jamal Eddine Al
Afghani in the Machrik (eastern Arabia). The Algerian Ulama (religious
intellectuals) used the press effectively. The first reformation paper was Al
Montaqid, 1925, of Cheikh Ibn Badis. The paper was banned the same year
(28). This was followed by Al Chihab, 1926. Many similar papers appeared
in other parts of the country such as Wadi Mizab of Abou Al Yakathan.
The Ulama established their association, known as the Algerian Muslim Ulama
Association, in 1931 and created the journal El Bacair which lasted
until 1956 as the war of liberation was in its second year. The Ulama's
struggle to preserve Islamic identity and prepare the new generation for future
challenges is best explained by Ibn Badis in his celebrated poem known to all
Algerian Muslims ever since:
The Algerian people are
Muslims
To Arab civilization they belong
Those who say that he deviated from his root
Or say that he died, they lie
Or seek him assimilation
They seek the impossible from their quest
The press inAlgeria
has witnessed significant growth beginning with War World II. (29). This is due
to many factors, among which were the development of Muslim nationalist press,
the increasing number of European settlers, etc. In the 1950s, there were eight
daily newspapers in the country. The two biggest were La Depeche Quotidienne
controlled by the great land-owner and politician Henry Borgeaut, and l'Echo
d'Alger owned by Vicomte de Sergny, a land owner and businessman. Both
newspapers advocated French Algeria
(l'Algerie Francaise), a policy which considered Algeria
as an integral part of France .
To Arab civilization they belong
Those who say that he deviated from his root
Or say that he died, they lie
Or seek him assimilation
They seek the impossible from their quest
The press in
The Muslim nationalist
movement had only weeklies: Algerie Libre, organ of the Movement for the
Triumph of Democratic Liberties (MTLD), La Republique Algerienne ,
voice of Ferhat Abbas' Democratic Union for the Algerian Manifest (UDMA); and El
Bacair, published by the Ulama, the Algerian Muslim Ulama Association (30).
These weeklies went underground when the French administration suppressed them
in1955, as the seven-year long war of independence started. The National
liberation Front (NLF), regrouping all nationalist organizations, started
publishing its own papers El Moudjahid in 1956, which was also
circulating clandestinely in the country.
The Muslim press
published in Arabic witnessed many forms of restrictions and suppressions and
thus was not able to flourish and grow. Indeed, " a large group of French
settlers living in Algeria gained control of the economic, political, and
cultural life so thoroughly that the Muslim press was not able to
grow"(31).
The country gained
independence on July 5, 1962. During the period between July and November 1962, a number of
newspapers of diverse political orientations and interests appeared. The
National Liberation Front brought to Algiers El
Moudjahid which was published as a weekly in Tunis ; the Alger Republicain,
reappeared and the Algerian People's Party started its organ. This period did
not last long. In November 1961, the party press was banned in an important
step towards establishing a one-party system. Between November 1962 and August
1963, The NLF reinforced its position in the country and created three
newspapers and ten magazines to spread its political orientation and create
acceptable conditions for a one-party system. In August 1963, the parliament,
representing delegates from the NLF, proclaimed Algeria a one-party state. As a
result, the press lost its diversity. On September 17, 1963, the political
bureau of the NLF announced the nationalization of la Depeche d'Alger,
l'Echo d'Oran and la
Depeche de Constantine.
Ihaddaden notes that the
press in Algeria
since independence can be divided into three periods. The first period
1962-1965 is characterized by a) the creation of many daily newspapers owned by
the government such Ach Chaab in 1961, El Djoumhoria and An
Nasr in 1963, and Alger-ce-Soir in 1964; b) the nationalization of
colonial press and c) control of national press. The second period 1964-1976
saw the increasing number of newspaper circulation in general. The printings of
El Moudjahid, for example, went form 66,400 in 1965 to 140,000 in 1975. The
whole printings of daily newspapers grew from 113,000 to 227,000 during a
ten-year period. The third period begins from 1976. This period is singled out
by the development the infrastructure for the diffusion of press and the
increasing awareness of government officials of the important role the press
can play in society in general . (32)
There were many social
and political factors both internally (economic hardships) and externally (the
downfall of the communist block) which gradually prepared the way for a
significant process of change in terms of content control and media structure
beginning with 1980's. The well-publicized events of October 1988 have
accelerated the process of historical evolution in the world of mass media. The
law of political association, 1989, has opened the way for a multi-party
system; about sixty recognized political parties appeared. Hence, the press, as
a dependent variable, has moved to the age of diversity, particularly in the
world of print media where each party sought to acquire its own mean of
communication especially a stable and well-established newspaper. The short
period 1989-1992 can be considered as the golden age of the Algerian media. The
different political sensibilities freely used the print media to advocate
views, visions an>
Transfer interrupted!
h
not regularly published, were very diversified such as El Mudjahid and Ech
Chaab of the National Liberation Party, Al Monqid and Al Forqan
of the Islamic Salvation Front, l'Avenir, El Mustqabl and Asalo(33)
of the Rally for Culture and Democracy , Al Taqaddoum of the Social
Democratic Party, Al Manbar of the Popular Association for Unity and
Work , Sout Ach.Chaab of the Avant-Garde Socialist Party, etc. There
were also government dailies such as Al Massa, Horizon, Al Jomhouria,
and An Nasr. The independent papers were many among of which Al Khabar
(a daily), le Jeune Independent(a weekly), etc. There were also many
important weeklies in the form of magazines or tabloids such as El Moujahid,
organ of the NLF, Algerie Actualite, which tended to have liberal stands
on economic and political affairs, Revolution Africaine (34) which had
leftist orientation in the coverage of national and international events and Hebdo,
a competing weekly.
Merrill suggests that
"the Algerian press has attracted a lot of attention that grew out of a
democratic movement in the country beginning 1990. More than 150 new dailies,
weeklies and magazines have come on the scene in the last four
years."(35). . This period, however, was interrupted in 1992 when
the outcome of the National Assembly elections, which favored the Islamic
Salvation Front, were canceled, an event which, as it is known, plunged the
country into a violent conflict unsettled so far. The media in general failed
so far to play an independent and professional role to promote dialogue and
possible reconciliation in this disintegration-reintegration process that is
affecting the basic foundation of the Ummah.
The current map of print
media is reduced to government and few independent papers. The government
papers (dailies) are represented by Al Massa (circulation of 80,000), Horizon
(260,000 ), Al Djoumhoria (90,000) and An Nasr (100,000)(36). The
independent papers include Liberte (250,000) and Al Khabar
(60,000).
The circulation of
foreign publications in Algeria
is minimal. The economic crisis, exacerbated by cuts in oil prices since 1985
has affected somewhat the availability of imported publications. However, the
above mentioned recent crisis has reduced significantly people's access to
foreign print media. Book Production is very low (506 titles in 1992). (see
Table 1 for the current daily press in the GM).
Table 1
Daily newspapers in the Grand Maghrib
Daily newspapers in the Grand Maghrib
Country:
|
circulation (*)
(1995) |
language
|
ownership/control
|
first published
|
Morocco:
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Al Mouharir
|
50,000
|
Arabic
|
party
|
1971
|
l'Opinion
|
50,000
|
French
|
government
|
1965
|
Maroc Soir
|
50,000
|
F
|
independent
|
1971
|
Le Matin du Sahara
|
50,000
|
F
|
-
|
-
|
Al Alam
|
45,000
|
A
|
party
|
1944
|
Al Maghrib
|
20,000
|
A
|
independent
|
1978
|
Al Mithaq Al Watani
|
20,000
|
A
|
independent
|
1976
|
Al Anbaa
|
20,000
|
A
|
government
|
1963
|
Al Bayane
|
15,000
|
A / F
|
independent
|
1972
|
Asharq Al-Awsat
|
10,000
|
A
|
-
|
-
|
Rissalat Al Ouma
|
6,000
|
A
|
-
|
-
|
Ahuida Addinokrati
|
4,000
|
B?
|
-
|
-
|
Sahara
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Anoual 3,500
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Algeria:
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
El Moudjahid
|
350,000 (**)
|
F
|
government
|
1956
|
El Watan
|
250,000(***)
|
F
|
independent
|
1990
|
Liberte
|
240,000 (***)
|
F
|
independent (****)
|
1991
|
Horizon
|
240,000
|
F
|
government
|
1985
|
Echaab
|
120,000
|
A
|
government
|
1962
|
An Nasr
|
100,000
|
A
|
government
|
1963
|
El Djoumhoria
|
90,000
|
A
|
government
|
1973
|
Le Matin
|
70,000(***)
|
F
|
independent (*****)
|
1992
|
El Khabar
|
60,000(***)
|
A
|
independent
|
1991
|
El Massa
|
30,000
|
A
|
government
|
1985
|
Tunisia:
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Assabah
|
70,000
|
A
|
independent
|
1950
|
|
50,000
|
F
|
-
|
1939
|
Le Temps
|
42,000
|
F
|
-
|
1976
|
Al Horria
|
30,000
|
A
|
-
|
-
|
Le Reneveau
|
30,000
|
F
|
-
|
-
|
Al Amal
|
27,000 (1979)
|
A
|
government 1957
|
|
l'Action
|
27,000 (1979)
|
F
|
government 1932
|
|
Al Chourook
|
25,000
|
A
|
-
|
-
|
Assahafa
|
25,000
|
A
|
-
|
-
|
(*) circulation taken from: Mohamed
Nasir Jawed, Year Book of the Muslim World: A handy Encyclopedia,
Medialine, New Delhi ,
1996, pp. 406-413.
(**)
The paper 's circulation declined significantly when the country moved to a
multi-party system following the events of October 1988. The above circulation,
mentioned in the Year Book of the Muslim World, is probably and old estimation.
(***)
Estimations of paper in question.
(****)
close to the Rally for Culture and Democracy. It is owned by Profilor company.
(*****) a leftist paper
The history of the
Tunisian press goes back to 1861 when the first newspaper Al Raid Al Tunisi
was established (37). The press published by French and other European settlers
witnessed substantial growth during the late 19th century, i.e., Journal-Tunis
1889), l'Independent Tunisien (1884), Le Kara Kouz (1884) and le
Reveil Tunisien (1886). Many other colonial papers such as l'Annexion
(1892) La Tunisie
Francaise 1892 and le Colon
Francais 1912) defended clearly the interests of the new settlers in Tunisia . In
addition, there were papers which reflected the views of
"Franco-Tunisien" and which lasted for years such as l'Observateur
Tunisien (1886) and la Depeche Tunisienne (1889). The
latter ceased to appear only in 1962. (38)
The Muslim nationalist
press advocating the independence of Tunisia appeared during the
thirties of this century. Rugh notes that Habib Bourguiba started new area of
Tunisian press by publishing l 'Action Tunisienne in 1932 which advanced
the doctrine of independence by means of negotiation. The Tunisian Muslim
nationalist press, unlike that of Algeria
and Morocco , did develop
during the period of French colonialism (1881-1956) primarily because of a
significant group of middle-class intellectuals who could maintain contact with
the eastern Arabia . The Muslim nationalist
press, however, was not allowed to flourish, it was "controlled, censored,
and restricted by the French administration." For example, l'Action
Tunisienne was forced to close in 1933 along with other Muslim nationalist
papers. The nationalist papers lived a long period of instability because of
French intervention and its functions (39).
The era of independence
(1956) brought to the scene many types of papers. l'Action and Al
Amal became organs of the ruling Destourian Socialist Party. The few
colonial papers which continued to appear during the transition period of
independence such as la
Depeche finally disappeared in 1962.
The print media in Tunisia during
the time of Habib Bourguiba (1956-1987) was loyal to and supportive of the
government despite the fact that it was generally privately owned. It tended to
be passive in its language, sensitive to the political environment and did not
criticize the basic tenets of national policy and personalities at the top of
the government hierarchy. That is, the press in Tunisia had little diversity.
Generally, private newspapers were more "likely to criticize government
services which the general public finds deficient and print stories which put
specific government officials in a negative light " (40). . Es Sabah,
for example, was the most critical newspaper in the country before 1971.
The press in Tunisia is
witnessing since 1987 some relaxation as the country is moving gradually toward
a more pragmatic form of political system. However, the political environment
is generally restricted , a fact which is reflected by relative homogeneity of
media content in Tunisia
today. There are two government newspapers in Tunisia , Al Amal and
l'Action and three private newspapers including Assabah and Le
Temps published by a wealthy businessman Habib Cheikh Rouhou. The
opposition Islamic movement El-Nahda publishes Tunis El Chahida in London . The number of
magazines and periodicals in Tunisia
is low (9 in
1988). These paper include Al Ousboui, Assada, Al Sour, Al Ousbu Al Mosawar,
Le Temps Hebdomadaire, and la Press Sport , Al Rabat, Nissa,
Ayam Jerba, Al Jil Al Ajyal, Cetime, Relects Portuaires, etc.(41). Book
production is relativey low (1165 titles in 1992). The presence of foreign
press in Tunisia ,
however, is extensive. These include most of the well-known French dailies and
magazines; other papers and journals come form Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, England, Lebanon,
Egypt, Syria, China, Algeria, etc.
Electronic Media
Broadcasting was
introduced into the region during the French rule. Radio broadcasting was
established as early as late 1920s and Television appeared in 1954. The purpose
of setting up these new technologies was to serve the French communities in the
region, particularly those settlers living in or around such cities as Oran , Algiers ,
Tunis , etc. Morocco
inherited many private radio stations. In 1956, three of these stations were
operating: Radio Tangier International, Radio Africa Mghrib in Tangier and
Radio Dersa in Tetwan. The government, in 1959, closed these commercial
stations and took over control of all broadcasting to create a national
network. Television came to Morocco
in 1954 under the auspices of a private company called (Companies Marocaine de
Television). The company failed financially in 1956 and was bought by the
government in 1960.
The electronic media in Morocco generally are government owned and
controlled, except for the radio station Midi 1 and a local TV station in the
city of Dar El Beida .
Midi 1 was able to capture a large audience
throughout the GM thanks to its aggressive stylistic techniques in presenting a
type of objective journalism not common in this part of the Muslim World. The
content electronic media generally is dominated by entertainment which has
"no immediate political implication." (42 ). Political content has
little credibility among the general audience.
The number of radio
receivers exceeds five millions (210 receivers per 1,000 inhabitants) and the
number of TV sets is about two millions (74 sets per 1,000 inhabitants) in
1992. The availability of satellite television, VCR and PC is limited to the
elite. The access to Direct Broadcasting Systems which delivers many foreign TV
channels directly into people's home is restricted by many regulations.
Radio emerged in Algeria in
1926. The first radio station broadcast in French and served the French
settlers in the city of Algiers
and the surroundings. In 1947, two other radio channels were created in Algiers ; one transmitted
in Arabic the other in Berber language. The main radio and television
transmitter in Bouzareah (west of Algiers )
was heavily damaged during the liberation struggle (1954-1962). It was immediately
rebuilt and expanded after independence under tight supervision of the
government. Radio and television merged in 1962 to form one government national
network called RTA (Radio Television Algerienne). They were later restructured
into two main organizations: radio network and television network.
The electronic media in Algeria are
government owned. There is one TV channel and radio broadcasting which
comprises four public channels in Arabic (channel 1), Kabylia (channel 2),
French (channel 3) and an international channel in many foreign languages. The
content of electronic media includes both politics and entertainment. The
socialist government which ruled Algeria during the 1960s and 1970s
used radio and television effectively to advocate government policies, social
integration and economic development. However, the content was propagandist and
authoritarian in nature. The early 1980s witnessed a slow process of
liberalization which affected many aspect of economic and social life except
the mass media. The most important changes which significantly affected the
world of electronic media occurred during the short period between 1990-1992.
The hard media such as television an radio provided time and access to
different political parties especially during political campaigns. There were
many TV programs such "Lika El Sahafa" (Meeting the Press) and
"Hiwar" (dialogue) whose reputation extended beyond the borders. This
period of media diversity and competition came to an end when the
democratization process was interrupted in late 1992, a move which, as was
mentioned earlier, plunged the country into a violent social upheaval unsettled
so far. As a result, the electronic media lost their relative diversity and
became, as they were in the part, instruments to propagate government policies.
The number of radio
receivers has increased from one million in 1965 to three millions in 1975 and
to more than six millions in 1992. As for television sets, the number increased
from 150,000 TV sets in 1965 to 500,000 in 1975 and to 2,000,000 in 19 92
(43). The government budget set for the sector of information and communication
dramatically favors electronic media as opposed to print and others forms of
communication. The budget allocated for TV and radio(44) is between 68% to 96%
of the whole budget dedicated to communication during the period 1966 to 1984.
The national news agency (Agence Presse Service) comes second in importance
with a share of about 10%. The print media comes last and receives only about
5% of the budget during the same period. (45).
The new technologies of
satellite television are dramatically affecting Algeria . The satellites signals
carrying major French TV channels and some Arab TV channels can be captured
throughout the northern part of the county and the phenomenon of 0.80 cm diameter dishes
that set atop buildings and houses is apparent in most big cities of Algeria such as Algiers ,
Oran , Constantine
and Annaba . It
is estimated that 1 in
every 4 families is linked to many French TV channels as TF1, M6, 2, canal+ and
a number of Arab TV channels such as MBC (broadcast from London ) through satellite broadcasting. The
cultural and social impact of these signals can only be enormous although
studies on the impact of these media on the general audience suggests that such
impact includes both positive and negative dimensions. (46).
Table 2
Electronic media in the GM (*)
Electronic media in the GM (*)
Television channels
|
Radio stations
|
Satellite Broadcasting
|
Internet
|
(government/Private)
|
government/Private
|
(Broadcasting - Reception)
|
(main provider)
|
.
|
.
|
(government)
|
(government)
|
Morocco
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
RTV / local channel Marocaine
|
national (around Dar Al Baida)/ Midi1 and local
|
RTM 1(**) / French TV channels
Spanish TV channels MBC (a Saudi TV channel based in in |
Several servers
|
Algeria
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
ENTV
|
national 4(***)
local +20 |
Algerian TV/ French TV Channels:
(****) TF1, F2, Channel +, M6, etc. MBC |
CERIST(******)
|
Tunisia
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
RTV Tunisienne
|
national and local
|
TV 7 (*****) French TV channels
Italian TV channels |
Several servers
|
(*) reconstructed based on the
available data.
(**)
started broadcasting in Arabic in February 1993, satellite availability:
Eutelsat II and Arabsat 1C
(***)
channel 1 broadcasts in Arabic, 2
in Kabylia (a local language), 3 in French, 4 in other international
languages
(****)
started broadcasting in Arabic in 1994 to reach Algerian immigrants in France
and other audiences: satellite availability, Intelsat V1 F1, Arabsat 1C and Astra 1B.
(*****)started
broadcasting in Arabic in November 1992 : satellite availability Eutelsat II.
sources:
Dorling Kindesley, World Reference Atlas, CD ROM, Multimedia, UK , 1995.
John
Merrill, Global Journalism, Longman ,
New York , 1995, p. 199.
(******) Centre des Etudes et de
Recherche en Information Scientifique et Technique.
In
Tunisia ,
the government which took over at independence in 1956 put radio under
government department. The new radio station was given certain autonomy and the
government "did not push " this institution as much as other emerging
states did (47). Television was established later in 1962.
Television, radio with
its regional stations in Sfaqs and Al Monstir, are government owned. The
content and style of radio and television broadcasting in Tunisia is
characterized by less politically motivated programming, with more
entertainment and popular culture. Political content, however, does not enjoy
high credibility among the general public.
The number of radio
receivers is more than one million and a half (200 receivers per 1,000 inhabitants)
and the number of TV sets is less than a million (80 sets per 1,000 inhabitants
(in 1992). The availability of satellite television and other te chnologies of
communication such as video and PC is restricted to the elite, although
satellite dishes are expanding rapidly due to technological advancement which
tends to bypass government authority. There are actually many French companies
which seek joint ventures to open private TV and radio channels in Tunisia . The
same pattern occurs also in the world of print media and advertising.
News Agencies
News agencies in the GM
emerged in the early 1960s. These agencies serve to disseminate domestic and
foreign news within the borders of their countries and to supply domestic news
to the outside world through other national or international news agencies. The
region's agencies are the sole supplier of international news to domestic
media, thereby having the capacity to serve as the national media gatekeeper in
reporting regional and world events.
The "Agence Maghreb
Presse" (MAP) of Morocco
is the oldest news agency in the region. It was established as a private news
agency in 1959. Its founder, Ahmed Benouna, was an ambitious journalist who
wanted to the make the agency a regional service that could incorporate all
countries of the GM. The agency's philosophy was based on the notion of
objective journalism. This new form of journalism in the region was reflected
in the agency's emblem: news is sacred, opinion is free. The agency
subscribed to AFP, AP and UPI and transmitted as much as 22,000 worlds daily to
local subscribers in the early 1960s . In 1961, the agency extended its service
to Africa and concluded many mutual agreements
with other world agencies such as Reuters, TASS, DPA and ADN. This experience,
however, did not last long. The agency was nationalized in 1974 for reason that
it disseminates information that contradict government policies in Morocco . The
agency now functions under the authority of the Ministry of Information. As of
the early 1980s, the agency has about 470 employees including 80 journalists.
MAP subscribes to 25 national and international agencies.
The Algerie Press
Service (APS) news agency was set up in 1961 during the war of liberation. It
was first established in Tunis
to disseminate information about the National Liberation Front and to counter
French propaganda at that time. The agency moved to Algiers right after the independence in 1962
and started telegraphic service, followed in April 1963 by full telex
facilities. The APS distributes in Arabic and French and preserves the monopoly
of the distribution to all media in the country. The agency is government owned
and controlled. It covers local and national news and has a number of
correspondents in some regional countries. It is mostly dependent on Western
agencies for the coverage of international news. The APS is now on Internet (www.cerist.dz) and provides major
local news and a review of local daily newspapers' headlines. The Tunisian press
agency (TAP) was created in 1961 as a government agency. The agency functions
like other national agencies in developing societies. As of the early 1980s,
the agency has about 340 employees including 110 journalists.(48).
Recent Trends in Media Development in the GM
The overview of media
development in the GM provides some basis for comparison which puts such media
in a new light in relation to other systems of communication.
The media in the GM
historically followed a similar pattern of development. The press was first
introduced by the colonial administration in the early 19th century. The press
was then used by individual Muslims and the Muslim nationalist parties to
educate, inform and advocate independence during the first part of this
century. Later, the press became a government tool for propagating economic,
social and cultural policies in the post-independence era.
The media system in the
GM can be considered a government-sanctioned press system in Morocco and Tunisia
and an unstable state-controlled press system in Algeria . The
first system exercises subtle and diffuse means of control over the media while
allowing private ownership of newspapers. The second system involves direct
control over the management of media institutions and censorship of
communication content. These systems reflect an indigenous centralized and
monopolized press system whereby the media function within
government-established prerogatives and give the public what it
"needs" not what the public "wants." The central governments
assume the more dominant role in planning and implementing particular policies
without visible public participation.
Many recent social,
economic and cultural factors both internally and externally have led the print
media to slowly move toward a system of relative diversity reflecting different
views that characterize the political arena. This has been materialized in the
type of party press in Morocco ,
Algeria for a while
(1989-1992) and to a lesser extent privately-owned press in Tunisia . This
trend is also slightly affecting the audio-visual media where there are some
private radio channels in Morocco
and Tunisia and a local
private TV channel in Morocco .
There were attempts to establish a foreign sponsored TV channel in Algeria , but
this did not evolve because of the current crisis sweeping the country.
This movement, however,
appears to be slow and tedious. The GM engaged extensively in the process of
economic liberalization and privatization. This process surprisingly did not
affect the media in any significant way. The governments seem unwilling to give
away these strategic means of forming public opinion and propaganda
integration. The electronic media is still heavily controlled by the
centralized authority of the government. (see Table 2 for the state of
electronic media in the GM).
The press infrastructure
in the GM is moderately developed. The ambitious economic programs set up in
Algeria during the 1970s have given the country some advantage in the area of
communication infrastructure, i.e., communication stations , printing houses,
etc. Nonetheless, the countries of the GM have for decades given priority to
the field of electronic media and have neglected the print media. This is
related to many factors including the problem of illiteracy and the important
mass character of radio and television. (see Table 3). The availability of
satellite television has provided the audience with an important window to view
local and world events from different perspectives, a fact which enriches people's
political culture and awareness of their immediate as well as far distant
environment. However, these technologies are also undermining people's
attachments to their culture, morals and ethical values as people are
constantly exposed to such immoral scenes of violence and pornography. The
absence of an ethical press system of moral and social responsibility left an
important size of the young generation to seek only the dark side of this mass
culture reflected in many social ills and problems affecting society at large.
The very recent technologies of communication such as Internet and PC are
however limited to a small elite made up of high ranking officials mostly in
government and educational institutions. The trend however may be reversed as
these technologies become affordable and as institution and people become
dependent on information in their economic and social life.
Table 3
Communication data in the GM
(1992)
Communication data in the GM
(1992)
Variable
|
Morocco
|
Algeria
|
Tunisia
|
Book production
(number of titles) |
.
|
506
|
1165
|
Daily newspapers
|
14
|
10
|
9
|
Circulation (total 000)
|
335
|
1000
|
410
|
Per 1000 inhabitants
|
13
|
38
|
49
|
Non-daily newspapers and periodicals
|
5 (1988)
|
37 (1990)
|
9 (1988)
|
Circulation (total 000)
|
35
|
1409
|
244
|
Per 1000 inhabitants
|
1
|
56
|
32
|
Television sets
(number 000) |
1950
|
2000
|
670
|
Per 1000 inhabitants
|
74
|
76
|
80
|
Radio receivers (number 000)
|
5527
|
6160
|
1680
|
Per 1000 inhabitants
|
210
|
234
|
200
|
Telephones (number 000)
|
821
|
1068
|
421
|
Per 1000 inhabitants
|
3.1
|
4
|
4.9
|
Telefax stations
|
5000
|
7000
|
10000
|
Mobile cellular telephone
subscribers |
6725
|
4781
|
2269
|
VCR ownership (Per 1000
inhabitants)
|
18
|
9
|
-
|
PC
|
limited
|
limited
|
limited
|
News agencies
|
MAP(1959)
|
APS(1961)
|
TAP(1961)
|
Sources: Statistical Yearbook, United Nations, United Nations Publications,1996.
Dorling
Kindesley, World Reference Atlas, CD ROM, Multimedia, UK , 1995.
For
news agencies, see Mohd Farid Mohd Azat, Wakalat El Anba Fi El Alam Al Arabi,
Dar El Shoroug, Djeddah, 1983.
The
press in the GM tends to be concentrated in the big cities of Rabat Dar Al
Baida, Oran , Algiers ,
Constantine , Tunis . The regional press is rare or
non-existent. The regional media are limited to radio broadcasting. There is
little exchange between and among the countries of the GM in terms of print
media , radio and TV programs, etc. The reader in any of these countries knows
little about the happenings in the other countries in spite of the fact that
these countries share a common historical and cultural heritage. The experience
of MaghribVision (during the 1970s) which linked Morocco ,
Algeria and Tunisia and
provided TV coverage of some sport and cultural events in the early 1970s
lasted only for few years. This is an example of lack of cooperation among
media institutions in the Muslim countries.
The press in the GM also
is characterized by the phenomenon of language bilingualism (Arabic and
French). The media use both Arabic and French. This inherent historical fact
had sometimes played a divisive role when the content of these media did not
reflect a coherent cultural framework and the audiences were exposed to
conflicting messages that suggested different perceptions of reality and many
modes of living. The process of "Arabization" which started in the GM
right after the inde pendence was limited to formal education and the mass
media were affected only slightly. The current trend is a reversal of the
previous policies of "Arabization" whereby there is a sudden upsurge
in the use of French in contemporary Maghrib media.
The future of mass media
in the GM is however promising. The people are becoming more critical of media
content and expect the media to respond effectively to their needs for reliable
information and high quality, meaningful entertainment. The current trend
toward economic liberalization can only be extended to the field of mass media.
The technological development give audiences in the GM other alternatives which
provide the possibility for comparison and development of one's views and
perceptions of social reality and world events. These developments need to be
linked to an ethical press system which reflects the premises of an Islamic
culture which reconciles one's own culture, history and way of life with modern
science and technology. The media in the GM have a long way to go in order to
respond to these challenges and develop journalistic traditions of independence
and professionalism and moral-social responsibility in this important part of
the Muslim world.
Conclusion
The
present study traces the rise , the development , and the recent trends of mass
media in the GM ( Morocco , Algeria , and Tunisia ). The paper argues that
the historical factors still weigh greatly on how media evolved in this part of
the Muslim world. Nonetheless, the fragility and the relative inconsistencies
of the current press systems in the GM are mostly the outcome of the
post-independence conditions. The paper suggests that current mass media in the
GM made modest contributions to social, economic and cultural development i.e.,
surveillance of the local environment and creating awareness of the outside
milieu. However, they have failed so far in developing an educated society
which is well informed and conversant with the recent te chnologies of
communication. Although media availability has expanded successively over the
years, their impact on social progress and moral-cultural development has been
skimpy. This is due to many factors, indigenous and foreign; among these the
absence of an equitable, moral and competitive system which can pilot and
oversee media institutions in a society which seeks to forge its own cultural
congruence and find a place for itself among the foremost growing societies.
The prospects for the future of mass media in the GM are, however, promising.
Print media are likely to gradually move away from government control. The
development of a market economy can provide the substance for a media
environment more independent of state and political pressures. The efforts to
retain government control of broadcasting will continue. However, the
proliferation of recent technologies of communication such direct broadcasting
television and videocassettes will provide supplementary or alternative sources
of informational and entertainment for the different audiences in the GM. This
process will eventually lead to an open competitive social system whereby
people can use the media to portray their authentic Islamic culture and have
access to other cultures in this new world of global Gemeinschaft.
Notes
(*) The term "Grand
Maghrib" is used to include the countries of Morocco ,
Algeria and Tunisia . The
other terms which take some cultural, historical and political configurations
are often used to describe this part of the Muslim world. The term "North Africa ," commonly used in Western media and
literature, carries geographic denotations at the expense of cultural and
historical considerations. The concept "Maghrib Arabia" is used in
relation to "Machrik Arabia" (eastern Arabia )
and emphasizes cultural and language bonds among people in these two parts of
the Arab world. Others use the concept "Maghrib" 'tout court' to
account for linguistic diversity in the region. Still, the term "Muslim
Maghrib" is also used to highlight people's attachment to the same common
belief in Islam. Here, we are using the term Grand Maghrib to include all these
previous dimensions.
(1) Microsoft Bookshelf,
1996-1997 Edition.
(**) abbreviation of
Grand Maghrib.
(***) The method used in
this study is descriptive and analytical, briefly combining historical factors
and current data whenever possible. The shortcomings which may appear pertain
to the difficult nature of the subject and lack of literature on mass media in
the states of the GM, although there are serious attempts to study press
history and development in each state apart from the GM put together such as
the following studies:
Zahir Ihaddaden, Histoire de la Presse Indigene en
Algerie, Enal, Alger, 1983. Habari Kebir, La Presse Nationale
Depuis l' Independance, Enap, rapport, 1982.
(2) A label used by the
colonial administration to describe the local population of Muslims.
(3) Known as Al Cheikh
Al Hussain Al Wartilani, from Beni-Ourtilane near the Summam river in north Algeria . His Rihla
was written in the 18th century and was subject to a number of academic studies
in recent times.
(4) Zahir Ihaddaden, an
outstanding Muslim scholar who worked for La Defense Algerienne
and El Moudjahid during the war of liberation. He founded journalism
education at the now Institute of Information and Communication (ISIC) of the University of Algiers where he taught since the early
sixties until he retired in 1994. He is also regarded as the only historian of
the Algerian press today.
(5) Zahir Ihaddaden, 'Evolution de la Presse Ecrite en
Algerie Depuis l' Independance,' Revue Algerienne de la Communication ,
3, (1989): 10.
(6)It is interesting to
note that many colonial papers adopted local Muslim words, whereas the content
of these papers had little to with the Muslims. In this example, the word Al
Mubashir was purposely selected to reflect the religi ous missionary
dimension of colonialism in Algeria .
(7) The first paper was
the Iraqi Al Iraq, 1814, followed by the Egyptian Al Waqia Al Misria,
published in 1928 in
Arabic and Turkish.
(8) Zahir Ihaddaden, 'As
Shafa Al Jazairia Min Bidayatiha Il Al Istiqlal,' in Abderrahmane Azzi and
others, Alam Al Itisal, Diwan Matboat Jamieya, (Algiers: Diwan Al
Matboat Al Jamiea, 1992), 97-119.
(9) John Merrill, Global
Journalism: Survey of International Communication, ( New York: Longman,
1995), 192.
(10) Mohd Nasir Jawed, Year
Book of the Muslim World: A Handy Encyclopedia, (New Delhi: Medialine,
1995), 406-413.
(11) El Moudjahid,
once a paper of the political elite , slipped in importance since the late
1980s when many party and independent papers appeared.
(12)Statistical Year
Book, (New York: United Nations Publications, 1996).
(13) Ralph Lowenstein,
'Press Freedom as a Barometer of Political Democracy,' in H.D. Fisher and J.C.
Merrill, International & Intercultural Communication, (New York:
Hastings House Publishers, 1978), 142-143.
(14) Donald L. Shaw and
Robert L. Stevenson, 'leaders and Conflict in the News in 'Stable' vs.
'Pluralistic' Political Systems,' in Robert L. Stevenson and Donald L. Shaw, Foreign
News and the New World Information Order, (Ames: The Iowa State University
Press, 1984), 136-138.
(15) William Rugh, The
Arab Press, (New York: Syracuse University Press, 1979), 7-104.
(16) Abderrahmane Azzi,
'Al Sahafa Al Arabid: Kiraa Taqyimia fi Thalouth William Rugh,' El Fikr Al
Arabi, 58, (1989): 169-183.
(17) Merrill, Global Journalism,196-201.
(18) Zahir Ihaddaden, La Presse Musulmane
Algerienne de 1839 a
1930, (Algiers: ENAL, 1986), 17-28.
(19) Subir Seif Al Islam, Tarikh Al Sahafa Al Jazairia,
6 Vols., (Algiers: Al Moassasa Watania lilfonon Al Matbaia, 1985).
(20) Ahmad Tafasca,
'kanawat Al Itisal fi Al Maghrib,' Report, (Rabat : 1984), 11.
(21) Rugh, The Arab
Press.
(22) Ibid.
(23) Tafasca, 'kanawat,'
14.
(24) Ibid.
(25) Ibid, 7.
(26) Ihaddaden, La Press Musulmane ,
11-15.
(27) Ihaddaden,
'Tarikh.'
(28) The paper was
banned for its support of the Muslim revolt led by Abdelkrim Al Khattabi in Morocco .
(29) Rugh, The Arab
Press.
(30) Ibid.
(31) Ibid.
(32) Ihaddaden,
'Evolution,' 21-22.
(33) This is the first
recognized paper to be published in "Tamazigth" language in Algeria .
Tamazigth, or Berber as it is called in Western literature, is the indigenous
language of the people of North Africa in
pre-Islamic era. Today, a sizable part of the population in the GM,
particularly Morocco and Algeria , speaks
Tamazigth in addition to Arabic and, among the elite, French language.
(34)Revolution
Africaine was found in 1963 to cover Africa 's
struggle for political, economic, an cultural independence. It was established
as an international weekly and the government hoped that it would circulate
throughout French-speaking Africa , but it did
not for political and economic reasons.
(35)Merrill, Global
Journalism, 195.
(36)Jawed, Year Book,
406-413.
(37)Rugh, The Arab Press.
(38) Mohamed Hamdane, 'Historique de la Presse en Tunisie,' Revue
Tunisienne de Communication, 9 (1986): 165-172.
(39)Rugh, The Arab
Press.
(40) Ibid.
(41) 'Presentation des Periodiques en Langue Francaise
Parus en Tunisie Pendant 'Annee 1985,' Revue Tunisienne de Communication,
9 (1986).
(42) Rugh, The Arab
Press, 122.
(43) Statistical Year
Book.
(44)The power of radio
transmission has developed from 780 kW in 1965 to 7,000 kW in 1975.
(45)Brahim Brahim, 'Information Regionale et Presse
Regionale en Algerie,' Revue Algerian de la Communication ,
3, (1989), 28.
(46) I supervised two
Master theses at the above-mentioned Institute
of Communication on the
subject: Boali Nassir, Jomhour Al Parabole fi Al Jazair, Unpublished Master
Thesis, 1992 and Boukhrissa Aicha, Al Television Wal Maraa Al Sahrawia fi
Al Jazair, Unpublished Master Thesis, 1996.
(47) Rugh, The Arab
Press, 192.
(48) Mohamed Farid
Mahmoud Izat, Wakalat Al Anba fi Al Alam Al Arabi, (Jeddah: Dar Al
Chorouk, 1983), 61-70.
Further Readings
Boyd, Douglas A., Broadcasting
in the Arab World: A Survey of Radio and Television in the Middle
East , (Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1993).
Ghania Mouffok, Etre Journaliste en Algerie, (Paris,
N.A., 1996).
Ihaddaden, Zahir, 'The
Post-Colonial Policy of Algerian Broadcasting In Kabyle,' in Riggins, Stephen
Harold, Ethnic Minority Media, (Newbury Park: Sage,1992).
Kamalipour, Yahia and
Mowlana, Hamid, Mass Media and the Middle East :
A Comprehensive Handbook, (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1994).
Kirat, Mohammed, The
Algerian Newspeople: A Study of Their Backgrounds, Professional Orientation and
Working Conditions, (Algiers: Office des Publications Universitaires,
1993).
Abderrahmane
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