The Press In The Grand Maghreb: Past And Present

The present study is an attempt to trace the rise, the development, and the recent presse phenomenon in the Grand Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya). The press in the Grand Maghreb, particularly the print media, has witnessed great social and historical moments, all of which once incorporated into a unified approach represent the unique characteristics of press in this part of the world. The press in the GM can generally be divided into major historial periods. The first period extends from the age of colonialism in the first half of the 19th century until the thirties of the 20th century. This period was characterized by the introduction and the growth of colonial papers whether owned by French (or Italian in the case of Libya) authorities or privately owned by French or European settlers, eventhough there were between now and then papers which belonged to "local" individuals or groups (religious or others). The second period starts from the thirties of this century and ends up when the states of the GM gained independence during the sixties of this century. This period saw both the continuity of colonial press and the rise of nationalist press pertaining to different nationalist parties struggling to advance the cause of independence beginning from the late twenties of the 20th century. The third period begins at the years of independence and extends to the present time. This period gave the press new dimensions and functions, among of which the advancement of government economic, social and cultural policies or what was called at that time media's participation in national development.