Bensaid criticizes previous media insurance policies, highlights Authorities efforts on heritage safety

Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, on Monday, issued veiled criticism of the media insurance policies carried out by earlier Justice and Development Party (PJD) governments. He claimed that the “chaos” in Morocco’s media panorama as we speak is a results of these insurance policies. Addressing the PJD parliamentary group, Bensaid stated: “If we are to discuss this issue, let us compare the number of media organizations that existed then with those in operation today.”

During a parliamentary session on oral questions, Bensaid responded to PJD MP Fatima Zahra Batta, explaining the federal government’s intention to foster strong media enterprises. He stated, “We aim to establish large media organizations capable of employing specialized journalists across various fields.”

Regarding the brand new decree on press subsidies, Bensaid highlighted efforts to handle challenges going through media firms, noting that beforehand, subsidies have been directed at particular person journalists quite than establishments. “Our goal is to review the value of public subsidies allocated to media companies, especially those struggling to compete with larger firms and global digital giants like GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon),” he stated.

The minister outlined new eligibility standards for media organizations searching for authorities help, together with using at the least 5 journalists and attaining an annual turnover of two million dirhams. These measures, he defined, goal to help media retailers that vary in measurement from small groups to these using dozens of journalists.

Bensaid additionally proposed a brand new framework to boost help for regional and native media by means of partnerships with regional councils, aligning with Morocco’s superior regionalization coverage.

On the subject of the southern provinces, Bensaid rejected accusations of neglect, emphasizing the federal government’s dedication to growth efforts throughout all areas of Morocco, together with media enterprises. “These are public funds, and we must establish clear standards before allocating them,” he stated.

Heritage Protection Efforts

Bensaid additionally addressed considerations about defending Morocco’s cultural heritage from appropriation. Referring to a latest assembly of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee in Paraguay, he highlighted Morocco’s success in opposing the inclusion of the Moroccan caftan in another country’s heritage file. He referred to as the transfer a violation of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

“Thanks to our collective responsibility, we thwarted this attempt,” Bensaid stated. He pressured Morocco’s rising stature inside UNESCO and its partnerships with different worldwide organizations devoted to mental property and heritage safety.

The minister pointed to ongoing authorities efforts to institutionalize the “Morocco” model, a authorized framework aimed toward safeguarding tangible and intangible heritage. He famous discussions with the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva towards signing a memorandum of understanding to boost cooperation on cultural heritage safety.

Since the present authorities took workplace, Morocco has added 13 parts to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage checklist, together with the artwork of Malhoun poetry. The caftan is anticipated to be listed in 2025, following UNESCO’s biennial nomination course of.

The authorities has additionally launched public consciousness campaigns and initiatives to spotlight the worth of cultural heritage, together with showcasing historic websites, organizing cultural exhibitions just like the “Nostalgia” sequence, and producing movies on social media to have a good time Morocco’s numerous heritage.

Bensaid reaffirmed the federal government’s dedication to defending Morocco’s cultural identification and combating heritage appropriation, notably amid ongoing tensions with neighboring Algeria. “Some live in illusions, trying to fill political voids by stealing and claiming others’ heritage,” he stated.