Authoritarianism and Media in Algeria
Like its North African neighbours, Algeria experienced a series of protests in response to socioeconomic inequalities in 2011. The protests led to serious discussions about reforming the country’s audio-visual media, which could generate unseen pressure on the country’s authoritarian regime, says the IMS report Authoritarianism and Media in Algeria.
Algeria’s protests came to a halt as a series of government-led reform initiatives were launched, enabling President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to remain in power.
“The combined ability of the state to sharply increase public welfare spending with the absence of widespread political protest has allowed the regime to avoid major political concessions,” says the report Authoritarianism and Media in Algeria, published by IMS.
Targeting the protesters, the new state initiatives spanned increase in low-level salaries, social development projects, and investments in job creation. The government also lifted a 19 year-old state of emergency, which had restricted Freedom of Expression and of assembly.
Within the field of media, the protests in 2011 led to serious discussions about reforming the country’s audio-visual media, which could generate unseen pressure on President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s regime, says the IMS report.
TV and radio privatisation
Algeria’s print media enjoyed its own small reformative spring when it was privatised in the early 1990s, which led to the creation of several high-quality journals in French and in Arabic. Due to a limited audience these publications were unable to fundamentally challenge the interests of the regime, says the report.
But a privatisation of TV and radio, which is scheduled to take place this year, could have a much more profound impact says the report:
“TV and radio remain the most important sources of information in Algeria in spite of poor production quality, public monopoly and lack of credible outlets covering Algerian affairs”.
“The opening up of private ownership of audio-visual media therefore provides an opportunity to create media platforms outside the direct control of the state bureaucracy that could speak to a far larger audience than any newspaper will ever be able to.”
