Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) is a state-run news agency founded in Morocco in 1959. MAP runs a television (M24) and a radio service (RIM), two dailies (Maroc Le Jour in French and Al Yaoum Al Maghribi in Arabic), monthly magazines, and a raft of news portals.
Media assets
Agency: MAP
Print: Maroc Le Jour, Al Yaoum Al Maghribi
TV: M24
Radio: RIM
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
MAP is a state-owned news agency subordinated to the Department of Communication in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. The highest governing body at MAP is its Administration Council, the president of which is the head of the government (a position he/she can delegate to the minister of communication). The council members are all representatives of the authorities (royal house, the government, and various ministries).
Source of funding and budget
MAP has not published in recent years detailed financial accounts. According to local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in May 2024, the agency receives more than 50% of its budget from the government. In 2021, MAP had a budget of MAD 318m (US$ 35.9m), according to the latest available data.
Editorial independence
MAP’s mission as the official news agency of the Moroccan state is to propagate the policies and interests of the national government. An ad hoc content analysis conducted for this report in May 2023 and repeated in March-April 2024 confirmed a solid pro-government bias in the agency’s coverage.
MAP has several rulebooks that govern the agency’s work and activities, including an Ethical Charter and a Charter on the use of information resources. However, none of these documents guarantees MAP’s editorial independence.
MAP has a so-called “mediator,” a position filled by a professional whose main task is to handle complaints and feedback from the audience. The mediator is appointed by the MAP’s Administration Council. The mediator, among other things, responds to queries from the public and informs MAP’s general director about the issues raised by the public.
July 2024