Ever since I visited Morocco in Disney World’s Epcot last spring, I have been extremely interested in visiting the country. All of their music, food, and colors make up a culture that is extremely different than that of our culture in the United States. Their music incorporates the violin in such an exotic way and the bright blue tiles artfully crafted in their mosaics are so unique. Although Morocco has been greatly influenced by many European cultures, the country has remained mostly Arabic. The country is one of the most advanced countries in the continent of Africa due to its urbanization, and this is partly why many tourists have been drawn to Morocco.
While our cultures are visibly different, our print media does share some similar characteristics. The first print news source that was ever started in Morocco was an English newspaper. From that one newspaper, there are now 618 publications currently in print, with most of these being circulated in the Casablanca region. Because the country used to be a French protectorate, newspapers are printed in French and Arabic, and their newspapers are starting to be accessible in multiple languages.
One specific newspaper, the Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse is available as a print source and online. This newspaper has been printed in French, Arabic, English, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese for a wider viewer base. Their newspaper is broken down into sections of ‘politics’, ‘economy’, ‘social’, ‘world’, ‘sport’, ‘culture’, ‘regional’, and ‘general’. There are lead stories on the website, banners with the latest and most important news stories, and an option to have news sent directly to your cell phone. USAToday is broken down into ‘news’, ‘travel’, ‘money’, ‘sports’,‘life’, ‘tech’, and ‘weather’. This website also has a “Top picks” section and bold article titles to highlight the most important news stories. This website seems to be much more colorful than the Moroccan newspaper and much more organized. Both offer interactive news articles and places to comment on the articles. I was interested to learn that the citizens of Morocco are entitled to freedom of expression in their Constitution as we are here. I did not realize that their country was as advanced as they were, so if I were to visit I’m sure I’d be in for even more surprises!
Carly Tustin's Blog 
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