From Transient Misleading to a Coherent Narrative: The Path of Fake News in Morocco
On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication organized a meeting on the subject of fake news: intersecting perspectives and approaches. The event, attended by the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, started at 9:30 AM at the National Institute of Music and Choreographic Arts (INSMAC), next to Mohammed V Theatre in Rabat.
On the surface, the event appeared to be an intellectual gathering, but at its core, it was a delayed yet necessary acknowledgment that we are facing a phenomenon that can no longer be treated superficially or with momentary reactions. Fake news has ceased to be a mere media deviation; it has transformed into a structural dilemma that affects public consciousness and reshapes the community’s relationship with truth.
For at least the past four years, it has been clear to those observing the scene calmly that the red flags had been raised. We were no longer merely encountering fake news; we were witnessing the beginnings of a system in the making. Today, that system has not only matured but has also spread extensively. Fake news has grown, expanded, and branched out, developing specialized tools reminiscent of units dedicated to producing and circulating misinformation.
The issue no longer concerns the veracity of news but the nature of the space these stories create. We are confronted with a polarized environment that recognizes no differences and allows no plurality. This is a space governed not by logic but by identity and allegiance. In this arena, opinions are classified rather than discussed, and ideas are condemned rather than dissected.
Here, the uniqueness of the Moroccan situation comes to the forefront. Misinformation in Morocco cannot be analyzed using ready-made models, whether French or American, nor can it be addressed simply by issuing official denials, no matter how accurate they are. What is produced in Morocco is not just false news; it is a complete narrative waged in a war of real stories.
Deception here relies on constructing a cohesive narrative that possesses its own internal logic, defined characters, and carefully delineated roles. Each character has their own language, body language, emotions, and even silence. Tears are employed when necessary, voice tone and facial expressions are utilized, and perhaps even winks are used to create a sense of truth that bears no relation to actual events.
This is a false benevolence presented in a guise of empathy, promoted as a defense of the oppressed while, in essence, serving as a tool for polarization and mobilization. The narrative does not merely convey a story; it imposes its meaning and criminalizes anyone who attempts to question it.
More alarmingly, this system is no longer confined to the digital margins; it has found its way into platforms that present themselves as journalistic and have embraced deceptive storytelling as their editorial line, blurring the lines between news and opinion, reality and representation, journalism and mobilization.
From this perspective, the significance of this initiative becomes evident. It does not merely pose the question of fake news as a technical or ethical flaw but views it as a complex phenomenon that affects consciousness and reshapes the public sphere. The question we should be asking today is not how to debunk fake news, but how to deconstruct the narrative behind it.
That is the real challenge. This is the battle that cannot be fought with slogans but through understanding and reinstating critical thought along with professional journalism as the first line of defense for truth.
