Abstract

Among the effects of the Arab uprisings on Morocco was the adoption of a new constitution and the emplacement of an Islamist-led coalition government. Despite these significant changes, the internal discussion on democratic change toward increased political participation and freedoms is ongoing. The media is both one of the major subjects and the forum of this debate. An important development has been the liberalization of the previously state-controlled radio sector in 2005, with 12 private radio stations having been established in addition to the already existing public stations. As the restructuring of the audiovisual sector is a recent phenomenon, this paper asks how Moroccan audiences responded: What do they listen to and why? In order to answer this question, fieldwork was conducted for a period of three months, primarily interviewing taxi-drivers as a major cohort of radio listeners. In addition, an online survey of students’ listening preferences helped to contrast these findings with those relating to a younger generation.

This talk is part of the CGHR Research Group seminar series. The CGHR Research Group is a forum for graduate students and early-career researchers from any department and disciplinary background researching issues of governance and human rights in the global, regional, and national contexts.

More about the CGHR Research Group: https://www.cghr.polis.cam.ac.uk/events/research_group