The Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis (MIPA), in collaboration with Internews and the Moroccan Forum of Young Journalists (FMJJ), conducted a field survey in late 2023 to assess freedom of expression and access to information in Morocco.
The majority of respondents (49%) believe that freedom of expression is important, and 37% believe it is very important. However, a minority (42%) believe that freedom of expression has little or no protection. This is reflected in the fact that 51% feel uneasy about expressing their opinions in public.
The survey employed quantitative and qualitative methods to gauge public opinion and the results revealed a significant gap in knowledge about press freedom laws with only 2% claiming to be familiar with the Press and Publication Law 88.13.
Limited trust in institutions
The survey also cited a lack of confidence in the judiciary's ability to protect freedom of expression: only 21% said they had confidence, and half (50%) had no confidence at all. Similarly, only 8% strongly agreed with the right to criticise the government, while 36% disagreed.
When it comes to access to information, preferences vary: satellite television is most preferred (33%), followed by the internet (18%), radio (14%) and government communications (13%). Print media and electronic sites are least preferred.
Interestingly, trust in official government statements remained relatively high: 32% said they trusted them a lot, and a further 30% said they trusted them somewhat. However, trust in government-issued information was lower, with 48% saying they trusted it and 29% saying they didn't trust it at all.
