Doctoral Thesis Defense in "Information and Communication Sciences" by Mr. Anoire EL ATTARI

The Euromed University of Fes (UEMF) is pleased to inform the public of

the doctoral thesis defense in ” Information and Communication Sciences ”

The thesis defense will take place on July 24, 2025 at 09:00 a.m. at UEMF

Location: The Great Hall of the Incubator (LOC001994)

The thesis will be presented by Mr. Anoire EL ATTARI

under the theme :

“ COMMUNICATING IN TIMES OF CRISIS: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE COVID-19 COVERAGE IN MOROCCO ”

Summary

The Covid-19 pandemic is a phenomenon that has profoundly influenced our era. Marked by high rates of infection and mortality, this crisis was at the center of public debate. All stakeholders—governmental authorities, international organizations, the scientific community, the media, and the public—engaged in a battle against an invisible and life-threatening enemy. In a post-crisis context, this research aims to understand, from a retrospective perspective, the mechanisms of influence of Moroccan media in times of crisis. The interest in this subject stems from the need to understand Moroccan journalists' adaptation strategies to the challenges of Covid-19, as well as to explore the influence of media coverage on public perceptions and preventive behaviors.

To achieve these objectives, this research adopts a mixed-methodology approach consisting of both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The former involves a thematic analysis of 30 semi-structured interviews examining how media outlets experienced and reacted to the challenges related to Covid-19. The latter, on the other hand, involves a statistical analysis of data collected from 562 participants through a large-scale questionnaire. This survey aimed to assess public perceptions in terms of satisfaction, trust, and media credibility.

The results of this study highlight the specific challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic on Moroccan journalistic practices, such as information management, fact-checking in a context of widespread misinformation, and adaptation to travel restrictions. Journalists expressed an increased awareness of their role as mediators of reliable information during the crisis, highlighting the tension between the speed of coverage and the accuracy of information. Furthermore, correlation and regression analyses confirmed several hypotheses, such as the impact of traditional and digital media consumption on preventive behaviors during the crisis.

The complementarity of the study's results allowed for an evaluation of media coverage in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, offering a comprehensive overview of both media outlets and public perceptions. Based on this, the formulation of theoretical and practical implications for journalistic practices in times of crisis, public health communication policies, traditional and digital media literacy, and the utility of new technologies in addressing public concerns about fake news and misinformation has been discussed, enabling evidence-based recommendations for future emergency and high-calamity situations.

This thesis will be presented to the jury members:

Full name	Grade	Institution	Role
Prof. Abdelhak AZZOUZI	Full Professor	Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University	Jury Chair
Prof. Zoubida NEGGAZ	Full Professor	Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University	Reviewer
Prof. Abdellah ROMLI	Full Professor	Ibn Tofail University	Reviewer
Prof. Ahmed OUAZZANI	Full Professor	Ibn Tofail University	Reviewer
Prof. Atmane BISSANI	Full Professor	Moulay Ismail University	Examiner
Prof. Khalid RIZK	Full Professor	Ibn Tofail University	Examiner
Prof. Abderrahman TENKOUL	Full Professor	UEMF	Thesis Director