The Makhzen Uses Media to Spread Misinformation to Distort Algeria’s Image Internationally

Moroccan media are clearly aimed at distorting Algeria’s image both regionally and internationally, according to prominent Mauritanian journalist Beiba Ould M’Hadi.

Oul M’hadi added that the editorial line of several media, particularly those with international reach, is subject to precise political directives that serve the agendas of the Moroccan regime against Algeria.

In press statements, Ould M’had explained that during the 1990s, Moroccan media sought to impose a misleading narrative portraying Algeria as an “isolated and marginalised” country, despite diplomatic and political indicators that reflected a different reality on the international stage.

The Mauritanian journalist added that any attempt to cover events or official visits reflecting Algeria’s foreign policy was considered a breach of the official narrative, subjecting journalists to intense pressure and reprimands from management.

The same source indicated that these practices reflect the complex relationship between the media and the authorities in Morocco, where the media is exploited as a tool for settling regional political scores and imposing a propaganda discourse that transcends journalistic professionalism. This discourse aims to distort Algeria’s regional role and mislead local and international public opinion into believing that Algeria is a besieged and marginalised state.

He emphasised that such practices reveal the extent of political interference in Moroccan media and highlight the immense pressures faced by independent journalists when they attempt to report the facts as they are, free from official directives and biased policies.

Ould M’hadi concluded that these practices later led him to resign from Morocco’s Medi 1 radio station, a symbolic step that, as he stated, underscored his refusal to participate in misleading media campaigns against Algeria.

What Ould M’hadi revealed aligns with repeated accusations levelled against the Makhzen regime regarding its use of media to settle foreign political scores, particularly concerning Algeria, through the creation of a targeted propaganda campaign that transcends journalistic professionalism and adopts official agendas.