Moroccan government and critics vie for online audiences

The investigative website Le Desk is the latest example of the accelerating migration of Moroccan journalism away from heavily restricted print and broadcast outlets toward the less-regulated online media scene.

[...] the powerful royal palace has also gotten in on the game, with a news site of its own attracting readers with a ready supply of scoops.

[...] Moroccan authorities, who prize the country's reputation as a model for stability in the region, are eyeing ways to better control the sector, which has become an increasingly spirited battleground of ideas.

In recent months, historian and journalist Maati Monjib was barred from leaving the country and faces charges of "undermining national security" in what rights groups argue is an attempt to undermine freedom of expression.

Amar's own background is indicative of the shift in the media in Morocco and in several countries touched by the Arab Spring uprisings, which shook up political structures and saw a rise of dissenting voices online.

According to Zaid, online journalists will have to get accredited like their print counterparts, and while the new code will eliminate jail sentences, there will be more fines for violations.

While many countries require official accreditation for online and other journalists, critics of the government fear Moroccan authorities will use the new rules to silence independent voices.

[...] it has now been joined by Le Desk, promising even more hard-hitting investigative journalism, though some criticized a profile of a phosphate magnate as too rosy.