Mehdi Bensaïd Highlights the Role of Publishers in Strengthening Self-Regulation and Reforming the National Media System
Mohamed Mehdi Bensaïd, Minister of Culture, Youth and Communication, received on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Rabat, the members of the new Executive Board of the National Association of Media and Publishers (ANME), recently elected during the association’s latest national congress. This consultative meeting, held under the banner of constructive dialogue, reflects the Ministry’s commitment to supporting the comprehensive reform of the national media system and promoting the values of pluralism and professional responsibility.
The meeting took place in a context marked by profound political, social, and economic transformations in Morocco, where national media play a central role in the country’s development and democratization process, serving as a key driver for strengthening freedom of expression and ensuring media pluralism.
During the meeting, the Minister praised the vital role played by the National Association of Media and Publishers, considered the largest representative body of Moroccan publishers. He highlighted its decisive contribution to the organization of the national media landscape, as well as its role as a source of proposals, advice, and a key partner in implementing professional self-regulation in line with the new legal framework governing the National Press Council.
A significant part of the discussions focused on the new decree concerning support for the press, publishing, and distribution sectors, which was followed by the publication of a joint decision between the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Communication and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
This text aims to restructure the system of public support for the media through an approach based on sustainability, transparency, and encouragement of national and regional press enterprises to embrace innovation, quality, and professionalism.
The participants also discussed Draft Law No. 26.25 on the reorganization of the National Press Council, considered a central mechanism for strengthening the journalistic profession, its independence, and its competencies. They emphasized that this draft law represents a decisive step in assessing the self-regulation experience initiated several years ago and improving its operation to better adapt to the rapid transformations of the media landscape at both national and international levels.
It was also recalled that the upcoming elections of the National Press Council will provide an opportunity to renew professional leadership and restore trust within the journalistic community, with the aim of reinforcing ethics, responsibility, and pluralism. The participants called for a collective mobilization of institutional and professional actors to reform the national media system and cleanse the journalistic environment of unprofessional practices that harm the credibility and essential role of the press in serving society.
The meeting concluded with a call to continue dialogue and coordination between the Ministry and the Association with a view to establishing a modern and resilient Moroccan media model founded on democratic values, independence, and responsible citizenship, in full alignment with the comprehensive reformist vision led by His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Editorial team/le7tv
