Study: Hespress is leading Morocco's online media landscape

Study: Hespress is leading Morocco's online media landscape
Thursday 20 June 2024 - 19:50

Digital platforms continue to assert their hold on the Moroccan media landscape despite their nascent nature, with Hespress leading the way thanks to a notable weekly reach, according to recent data released by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

As an e-newspaper offering comprehensive coverage of local and international news, Hespress dominates the online media sector, with “weekly usage” reaching 47%.

In addition, 34% of users log on to the site at least three days a week. This leadership is followed by other players, but at a notable distance.


In second place is “2M en ligne”, with 28% weekly usage and 21% visiting at least three days a week. “Al Jazeera en ligne” comes third with figures of 25% and 18% respectively.

Other media such as “Al Oula en ligne” (21% for weekly use and 14% for use at least 3 days), “Hibapress” (21% and 11%), and “Medi 1 TV” (18% and 11%) follow in the ranking.

“Le360” and “Medi 1 Radio en ligne” show weekly usage of 17% and 10% respectively, with three-day-per-week frequencies reaching 9% and 6%.

Closing off the top 10, we find “Other foreign online media” (10% for weekly usage and 3% for usage at least three days) and “Le Matin online” (9% and 4%).

This digital dominance is all the more striking given that, despite the rise of social platforms (60%), online media remain the preferred source of information for most Moroccans.

The Digital News Report survey highlights a pronounced preference for online news consumption, with 79% of urban and educated respondents favoring digital platforms.

This contrasts sharply with TV (41%) and print media (14%), which are more commonly used by older generations.
The reliance on smartphones and social media for news is increasing across all demographics. Facebook (51%) and YouTube (50%) are the primary online channels for news, while TikTok (22%) is gaining popularity among younger Moroccans.
YouTube particularly stands out as a platform where bloggers, political commentators, and social media influencers often push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable discourse in Morocco.
Television and the print media yet still retain their importance with older generations and people who are not present online.

In Morocco, overall trust in news sources is relatively low, with just 31% of the population indicating confidence in listed institutions.

However, certain brands stand out with higher levels of trust: Medi1 TV and Medi1 Radio are trusted by 68% and 65% of respondents, respectively, while Hespress enjoys a 63% trust rate, placing it in 4th position, according to the ranking.  “2M” completes the top 5 with a trust rating of 60%.

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