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 

Covid-19 is a phenomenon that deeply influenced our era. Marked by high rates of infection and mortality, this crisis was at the center of public debate. All stakeholders—government authorities, international organizations, scientific communities, the media and the public—engaged in a fight 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 necessity 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 goals, this research adopts a mixed research methodology 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 evaluate the public’s perceptions in terms of satisfaction, trust and media credibility.

The results of this study emphasize the specific challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic on Moroccan journalism practices, such as information management, fact-checking in a context of large-scale dissemination of misinformation and adaptations to restrictive travel orders. 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. Additionally, the correlation and regression analyses confirmed multiple hypotheses such as the impact of traditional and digital media consumption on preventive behaviors during the crisis.

The complementarity between the results of this study allowed the 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 that, theoretical and practical implications intended for journalism practices in times of crisis, communication policies for public health, traditional and digital media literacy and the usefulness of new technologies in addressing public concerns about fake news and misinformation have been discussed, allowing evidence-based recommendations for future emergencies and major calamity situations.

This thesis will be presented to the jury members:

Full name	Rank	Institution	Quality
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