Media Discourse in Morocco

In this chapter, I analyze media representations of migration to Ceuta and Melilla from the perspective of Morocco-based news sources. Here, I illustrate Morocco’s distinctive discourse and ideologies not only with regard to migration, but also towards the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla, which goes otherwise unmentioned and uncontested in Spanish discourse. Using an equal distribution of Arabic and French publications, I focus on how Moroccan news sources construct migrant identities. This includes contradictory discourse such as the criminalization of migrants, while also shifting away from dehumanizing discourse by providing details and narratives of migrants’ experiences. Additionally, I examine how Moroccan and Spanish authorities are depicted as responsible parties for managing migration at the border. Finally, I note some of the broader political discussions present in Moroccan news discourse, namely the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla.