A recent report by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), an American non-profit press monitoring and analysis organization, delved into the hostile propaganda efforts launched by Algerian content creators against Morocco, in alignment with “the broad outlines of Algerian foreign policy.”
Titled, “Noxious Narratives: Algerian Anti-Moroccan Propaganda,” the report emphasized that the propaganda campaign was spearheaded not only by “the major regime or pro-regime media outlets, but also by seemingly amateur YouTube channels, and social media influencers promoting anti-Moroccan sentiments, along with anti-Israel and anti-French rhetorics.”
The MEMRI noted that press freedom, despite being guaranteed by the Algerian constitution, has been restricted following pro-democracy protests, leading to the closure of the last independent news outlet in December 2022.
However, “trolling and trash-talking about Morocco while highlighting dreams of regional glory and military prowess is definitely allowed and encouraged,” says the report.
It also cited the Algerian YouTube channel “ibendawla” as an example, noting its focus on portraying the Moroccan government in a negative light and making “wild claims about corruption” during the Al-Haouz earthquake in Morocco.
The channel’s tone was deemed to be “informal, vulgar, sarcastic, and mocking” in its commentary on Morocco.
The MEMRI’s report also shed light on the content of other Algerian YouTube channels with similar agenda, such as “Algeria Here”, “Algeria Tech”, and “Reality News”, which often feature mocking and negative content targeting even the king of Morocco.
Different in size and style, the said Algerian YouTube channels exalt their military and leadership while vehemently criticizing countries such as the US, France, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and most notably Morocco.
They also praise their country for strengthening ties with Russia while mocking Morocco for “leaning toward the West.”
“It is clear that the main audience for this content is likely not Moroccans at all but the Algerian people themselves, especially its youthful population,” noted the same source.
The MEMRI’s report underscored that “these outlets provide a crucial service to the Algerian state” by priming the population for war or “beguiling them with fabricated political fantasies through a steady diet of inexpensive propaganda.”
It further emphasized that this propaganda aimed to “indoctrinate the local population, distract them with foreign threats, and maintain a mix of Pavlovian outrage and hysteria.”
It’s worth mentioning that Mohamed Ouzzine, the Secretary-General of the Popular Movement Party, wrote in January a letter to the President of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) in Tunisia, expressing his discontent with “the hostile campaign” carried out by Algerian media against the Kingdom of Morocco.
He condemned the “unacceptable practices” through which the Algerian public media targets Morocco with its radio and television against the backdrop of a purely sports event, the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Cote d’Ivoire.
The Algerian media went to great lengths, employing derogatory terms such as “the politics of hyenas disguised as lions” and “accusations of Moroccan (Makhzan) interference in African arbitration,” complained the Secretary-General of the Popular Movement Party.
He underscored, “it is crucial to address this issue to curb the spread of division and animosity between the two brotherly nations.”
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