Nichane Explained

Editor:Driss Ksikes
Editor Title:Editor-in-chief=
Category:News magazine
Publisher:Ahmed Benchemsi
Founder:Ahmed Benchemsi
Firstdate:September 2006
Finaldate:October 2010
Country:Morocco
Based:Casablanca
Language:Moroccan Arabic
Berber

Nichane (meaning "direct" in Moroccan Arabic and Berber:نيشان) (formerly Aljareeda Alokhra) was a Moroccan weekly arabophone and darijophone (in Moroccan Arabic) news magazine.

History and profile

Nichane was published from September 2006 to October 2010.[1] Its editor-in-chief was Driss Ksikes.[2]

The magazine was a sister publication of the French-language Tel Quel magazine[1] and was based in Casablanca.[3] [4]

Censorship

On 20 December 2006, then Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou issued a statement prohibiting thus the diffusion and distribution of Nichane.[5] This prohibition came as a result of the publishing of "provocative jokes" related to religion, and the late King of Morocco, Hassan II.[2]

Driss Ksikes and another journalist, Sanaa El Aji, were prosecuted for "defaming Islam and damaging morality" and sentenced to fines of 80,000 dirhams each and three-year suspended sentences. Additionally, the magazine was banned for two months.[6] Both journalists defended their article.[7]

In December 2009, police destroyed 100,000 copies of the magazine after it printed an unauthorized opinion poll of Moroccan King Mohammed VI.[8]

In October 2010, publisher Ahmed Benchemsi announced the closure of the magazine, citing an advertiser boycott by royally-owned ONA/SNI holding group.[3] [9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Morocco's Nichane Folds Under Royally-Backed Advertiser Boycott. 3 October 2014. Jillian C. York. 4 October 2010.
  2. News: Fadoua Benaich. Jesse Sage. In Morocco, a sad joke about press freedom. 3 October 2014. Los Angeles Times. 17 January 2007.
  3. News: Shutting up shop. 8 October 2014. The Economist. 7 October 2010. Cairo and Rabat.
  4. Annemarie Iddins . Debating Darija: Telquel and language politics in modern Morocco. Media, Culture & Society. 2015. 37. 2. 289. 10.1177/0163443714560133.
  5. https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.menara.ma%2Finfos%2Fincludes%2Fdetail.asp%3Flmodule%3DMaroc%26article_id%3D7159&langpair=fr%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools The Prime Minister prohibits the weekly magazine “Nichane”
  6. Web site: Moroccan court convicts Nichane journalists, shutters publication. Committee to Protect Journalists. 17 January 2007. 6 October 2010.
  7. News: Richard Hamilton. Morocco reporters defend article. BBC News. 8 January 2007. 14 January 2007.
  8. Web site: Magazines Seized Over Royal Opinion Survey. France24. 8 March 2009. 3 October 2010.
  9. Web site: Max Fisher. Morocco's Largest Arabic Newsweekly to Fold Under State Pressure. The Atlantic. 1 October 2010. 3 October 2010.