The recent meeting in Morocco’s Parliament on October 13, 2025, discussing the draft law to reorganize the National Press Council (CNP) highlights key shifts in Morocco’s media landscape, especially as it moves toward strengthening press freedom and responsibility in the digital age. A few significant takeaways from the discussion: Self-regulation as a Cornerstone: The government continues to push for self-regulation within the media sector, which is seen as crucial for maintaining a modern and democratic society. Mehdi Bensaid, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, stressed the importance of finding a balance between press freedom and professional regulation, emphasizing that this self-regulation must be both robust and responsible. Addressing Media Challenges: The bill, in its revised form, aims to address the issues that arose during the CNP’s initial term, focusing on problems like disinformation, lack of transparency, and unclear regulatory frameworks. The idea is to create a clearer, more effective structure for oversight, which could help curb harmful content and bolster the public’s trust in the media. The Digital Shift: A significant focus of the meeting was the increasing importance of digital media. The Minister highlighted that the regulatory framework must be adapted to the rise of digital platforms, social media, and artificial intelligence. Ensuring that digital companies operate with the same professional ethics as traditional media, while protecting them from abuses like disinformation, is a priority in this new draft law. Criticism from the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE): While the CESE supports the idea of reform, it raised concerns about a lack of consultation with stakeholders in the media sector, particularly the imbalance between journalists and publishers in the proposed future composition of the CNP. They’ve called for more transparency, parity, and diversity in the council, as well as a more balanced approach to disciplinary power versus mediation. The Balance Between Freedom and Regulation: One of the core challenges mentioned is preserving the freedom of the press while ensuring that media professionals are held accountable for ethical breaches. The CNP’s role is central to maintaining this balance, and the new law is designed to improve its functioning in overseeing the sector. This reform, if implemented carefully, could be a significant step toward modernizing Morocco’s media regulation, but as the CESE pointed out, genuine stakeholder involvement and careful attention to fairness and transparency will be critical for its success. Do you think Morocco’s media environment is ready for such a shift? And how do you see the balance between freedom and regulation playing out in this context?

The recent meeting in Morocco’s Parliament on October 13, 2025, discussing the draft law to reorganize the National Press Council (CNP) highlights key shifts in Morocco’s media landscape, especially as it moves toward strengthening press freedom and responsibility in the digital age.

A few significant takeaways from the discussion:

1. Self-regulation as a Cornerstone: The government continues to push for self-regulation within the media sector, which is seen as crucial for maintaining a modern and democratic society.

2. Mehdi Bensaid, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, stressed the importance of finding a balance between press freedom and professional regulation, emphasizing that this self-regulation must be both robust and responsible.

3. Addressing Media Challenges: The bill, in its revised form, aims to address the issues that arose during the CNP’s initial term, focusing on problems like disinformation, lack of transparency, and unclear regulatory frameworks.

4. The idea is to create a clearer, more effective structure for oversight, which could help curb harmful content and bolster the public’s trust in the media.

5. The Digital Shift: A significant focus of the meeting was the increasing importance of digital media.

6. The Minister highlighted that the regulatory framework must be adapted to the rise of digital platforms, social media, and artificial intelligence. Ensuring that digital companies operate with the same professional ethics as traditional media, while protecting them from abuses like disinformation, is a priority in this new draft law.

7. Criticism from the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE): While the CESE supports the idea of reform, it raised concerns about a lack of consultation with stakeholders in the media sector, particularly the imbalance between journalists and publishers in the proposed future composition of the CNP.

8. They’ve called for more transparency, parity, and diversity in the council, as well as a more balanced approach to disciplinary power versus mediation.

9. The Balance Between Freedom and Regulation: One of the core challenges mentioned is preserving the freedom of the press while ensuring that media professionals are held accountable for ethical breaches. The CNP’s role is central to maintaining this balance, and the new law is designed to improve its functioning in overseeing the sector.

This reform, if implemented carefully, could be a significant step toward modernizing Morocco’s media regulation, but as the CESE pointed out, genuine stakeholder involvement and careful attention to fairness and transparency will be critical for its success.

Do you think Morocco’s media environment is ready for such a shift? And how do you see the balance between freedom and regulation playing out in this context?

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Muhamed Saeed Bala

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