Bensaid: We Aim to Establish True Self-Regulation for Journalism, Away from Any Guardianship or Political Agenda
Mohamed Mahdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, affirmed that Bill No. 26.25 related to the reorganization of the National Press Council represents a decisive phase in reforming the national media landscape. He stated that self-regulation is not merely an administrative procedure but a necessary mechanism to ensure the profession’s independence, ethics, and to enhance press freedom.
Bensaid emphasized during a presentation of the bill’s contents to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, that the government does not seek to impose any guardianship or political agenda on the sector but aims to empower the journalistic community with a free democratic mechanism emerging from the professionals themselves to fill what he described as the legal gaps revealed by the previous experience of the National Press Council.
The minister explained that the current phase necessitates a transition from a joint organization to true self-regulation, paving the way for complete professional independence from the executive authority. He highlighted that the drafting of this bill was based on proposals from a temporary committee extending from the previous council, through extensive consultations with various relevant professional bodies, leading to a comprehensive proposal taken into account in preparing the text.
Bensaid noted that the unprofessional practices and chaos witnessed in some media outlets require a strict regulatory mechanism from within the profession itself, without direct state intervention. He stressed that “freedom is not chaos, and responsibility is not a constraint; they are both pillars of a robust media that reflects the heartbeat of the street and contributes to public discourse.”
The minister also highlighted that the bill enhances the principle of transparency by establishing an independent committee to oversee professional elections and adopting a new voting system that meets the journalists’ demands, ensuring that societal discussion and parliamentary amendments contributed to improving and enriching the text’s contents.
Bensaid concluded by affirming that the state is not at odds with journalists but sees itself as a fundamental partner in building a professional and independent media landscape that respects professional ethics and meets the expectations of Moroccan society.
