The landscape of media influence in Morocco has undergone a significant transformation, shifting the focus from traditional media ownership to the question of who truly holds the audience's attention and can engage them directly through their smartphones. This evolution is particularly evident in the rise of YouTube and other social platforms, which now serve as spaces for news production, interpretation, commentary, and mobilization, transcending mere content consumption. By the end of 2025, Morocco boasted approximately 35.5 million internet users, representing 92.2% of the population, with social media users reaching 22.8 million. Google advertising data reveals that the potential reach of YouTube ads in the country was 21.6 million users, equivalent to 60.8% of the internet user base.
Significantly, this trend is not a trivial entertainment phenomenon. An academic study on the Moroccan elections of 2016 found that digital media and video bloggers played a more central role in political discourse on YouTube than traditional political elites and official media, which were notably absent from the list of the most influential voices. Thus, what we are witnessing today is not the birth of a new phenomenon but rather its transition from the margins to a competitive space where it actively shapes the public sphere.
From Journalist to Content Creator: Blurring Boundaries
This shift is exemplified in the case of Tofiq Bouachrine, a prominent journalist who has effectively transitioned from traditional media to YouTube. Bouachrine is not just another influencer; he is a seasoned journalist and writer who founded a well-known print and digital media venture. His move to YouTube has created a new model where a journalist no longer needs a media institution to reach their audience. His channel, launched in 2022, has evolved into a political platform that has garnered substantial viewership, with some videos amassing hundreds of thousands of views. Currently, his channel is on the verge of reaching hundreds of thousands of subscribers and tens of millions of views.
The irony lies in the fact that a journalist who previously relied on print media, capital, and distribution networks can now establish a personal media entity using only a camera, video editor, global platform, and a loyal audience. This transformation is underscored by the significant topics Bouachrine addresses, including elections, the political system, the economy, monarchy, Moroccan-Algerian relations, international politics, and government affairs. Thus, his platform transcends personal branding, becoming a legitimate competitor to the roles traditionally filled by political journalism.
Another notable figure is Hamid Mahdaoui, who has epitomized the transition of an individual into a media institution. Mahdaoui not only produces journalistic content but has also become a media brand in his own right. His channel combines news, political commentary, and live debates, allowing him to host political and civil rights figures without the constraints of traditional television scheduling. The growth of his channel, which has surpassed one million subscribers, illustrates this shift, as his interviews and materials are widely circulated on social networks, contributing to broader political discussions.
The New Face of Influence: Beyond Journalism
Figures like Nourredine Lchehab and Younes Meskine represent another facet of this phenomenon. Lchehab has built a lengthy career in journalism and intellectual discourse, while Meskine has emerged from a traditional media background to engage in the evolving relationship between journalists and YouTube. In a 2025 article, Meskine highlighted the paradox that media institutions criticizing YouTube or positioning it against traditional journalism are, in fact, partially or wholly reliant on revenue from digital platforms.
It is crucial to recognize that Bouachrine, Mahdaoui, Lchehab, and Meskine should not be simplistically categorized as commercial influencers. They represent a migration of a segment of the cultural and media elite to platforms where their personalities become distribution channels, editorial institutions, and follower communities. This migration is a critical key to understanding the 'YouTube Revolution' in Morocco.
However, the true revolution extends beyond journalists. The digital landscape has enabled individuals outside journalism to create audiences that sometimes rival those of established journalists and media institutions. Notable examples include Yassine Amari, who has transformed his official channel into a massive platform with over 1.1 million subscribers and nearly 70 million views, and Amin Raghib, who has built a presence around technology, online work, digital security, and e-commerce. Additionally, the late Sofiane Bahri established a significant digital influence surrounding royal images and news, garnering a vast following across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
These cases reveal that the dynamics of influence are multifaceted; journalists can become YouTubers, YouTubers can become journalists, and individuals who are neither can still wield considerable social or political influence simply by capturing an audience.
The influencer role has transcended mere media functionality to become a social position. In the traditional model, symbolic authority was distributed among newspapers, journalists, political parties, academics, religious institutions, and broadcasters. In the new paradigm, a single platform can grant an individual symbolic authority that crosses these institutional lines. Therefore, the rise of influencers in Morocco should not be reduced to mere TikTok trivialities or a superficial advertising phenomenon.
Economically, the sector is already substantial; a study by DJ Trendz indicated an increase in the number of influencers in Morocco from approximately 1,400 in 2018 to 60,000 by 2022, with reports estimating the influencer marketing market in Morocco to be around 4.2 billion dirhams by 2024. However, the economic aspect is just one dimension; it is also about redistributing power in discourse and redefining who has the right to lead public opinion.
The deeper transformation lies in the fact that audiences are no longer solely in search of 'information' but are looking for individuals who can interpret that information for them. This explains why political videos presented by a single person can garner hundreds of thousands of views. Audiences consume not just the news but also the stance, personality, language, emotion, and narrative behind it. Here, YouTube surpasses traditional journalistic articles in several ways, as journalists report: 'The government is facing a political crisis,' while influencers explain: 'Let me tell you why this crisis will occur, who benefits from it, and who will lose.' This shift from merely reporting news to crafting personal interpretations of that news is at the heart of the political influencer phenomenon.
Will this phenomenon grow outside traditional media circles? Yes, and with vigor; however, it does not manifest equally across all domains. In entertainment, social, and commercial fields, the phenomenon has long since departed from traditional media realms. In the political sphere, there remains a strong reliance on individuals who already possess professional, cultural, or media capital. This indicates two parallel paths: one where journalists migrate to platforms (like Bouachrine, Mahdaoui, Meskine, and Lchehab) and another where influencers emerge from outside journalism, encompassing technology, religion, entertainment, sports, fashion, cooking, entrepreneurship, and everyday life, with some gradually transitioning into public discourse.
Research on Moroccan content indicates that the discourse produced by content creators oscillates between information and self-promotion, highlighting that an influencer is not necessarily a journalist but rather a persona with a personal identity and a public project simultaneously. The youth demographic plays a pivotal role in this model's success, as platforms actively reach out to them. With more than nine-tenths of the population connected to the internet and about 22.8 million social media users, YouTube has the potential to engage millions.
Moreover, previous academic research in Morocco has shown how marginalized youth have utilized YouTube to produce counter-narratives against dominant discourses, exemplified by the 'Bouza' stories.
As reported by arabi21.com.
