Introduction - the Amazigh Identity in Moroccan Tv Channels

The Amazigh Identity in Moroccan TV Channels

What role do the Moroccan media in general and TV channels in particular play regarding the Amazigh identity? This seems to be a pertinent question to ask for at least three major reasons. First, because the Moroccan society is witnessing a rapid development in media and technology, this can make the identity of many ethnic minority groups including the Amazigh one to disappear easily within the dominant ruling ideology. Secondly, because the Morocco public TV plays an important role in the daily lives of most social and cultural groups, this means that it has to give enough space to all the cultural groups instead of neglecting some at the expense of others. Thirdly, because the establishment of only one TV channel that seems to prioritize the Amazigh people’s concerns does not mean just to serve, define, and reflect the richness of the Amazigh identity, but probably to satisfy and gratify some political needs and motives.

The above and others several issues are what make the question of the Amazigh identity in the Morocco media a highly debatable and controversial one. It is undeniable that the Amazigh culture was and still an integral component in constructing and shaping the Moroccan national identity, heritage, and history. This fact which the Moroccan TV channels neglects, disregards, and censors from the national narrative, is what unified hundreds of Amazigh voices to condemn the oppression and negligence, which affects their identity, and call for its recognition. Generally, it’s the Moroccan public TV stations role to cohere with the people’s interests, reflect their reality and identity, and contributes in strengthening the sense of belonging, instead of making them feel excluded or represented in a demeaning way in the mainstream television.