Alternative Public Spaces in Hybrid Media Environments: Dissent in High Uncertainty

Fatima El Issawi

doi:10.1177/1077699021998381

Abstract

Independent news websites and press played a vital role in creating spaces of contention in the context of the Moroccan pro-democracy movement of 2011. This article looks at the role of this press in disseminating alternative narratives in the hybrid media and political environment that followed the pro-democracy movement. Based on extensive interviews with journalists, this article examines journalists’ practices in countering hegemonic media and political discourse, to understand how they contribute to—or hinder—the formation of counter publics under tough repression. The article uses the critical frameworks of dominant and counter-publics and Judith Butler’s concept of silencing.

Highlights

The Moroccan media and political landscape witnessed sporadic phases of openness, largely controlled by the regime, which did not build a lasting legacy, nor did it survive traditional restrictions on media freedoms and the public sphere
While the experiences of this critical press are traditionally examined through a historical lens, with a focus on their interplay with the political and economic structures of repression, this article focuses on their practices as journalists, in an attempt to understand how they contribute to—or hinder—the formation of counter publics under tough repression
The recent zero tolerance policy implemented by the regime in dealing with expressions of dissent, in old and new media alike, is challenging the image of a hybrid media and political system in the process of modernizing that the regime likes to promote

Summary

Introduction

The Moroccan media and political landscape witnessed sporadic phases of openness, largely controlled by the regime, which did not build a lasting legacy, nor did it survive traditional restrictions on media freedoms and the public sphere. Through practical examples of coverage of sensitive topics/events, the article attempts to make sense of forms of collaboration these journalists develop with the power and the implications this has on the formation of sustained counter narratives able to challenge the dominant discourse. The dynamics of this alternative and marginal space are examined through the analytical framework of dominant and counter publics, as well as the notion of silencing as a subtle yet powerful tool of censorship. Instead of considering this press a victim of the regime’s repression, this article investigates the press’ influence as an active player in—potentially—propagating counter narratives, and how the silencing tactics used by the regime are contributing to limiting their emancipatory effect

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion