✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Backed by the State and Bound by Ethics, National Journalists Forge a United Front to Defend Algeria’s Image and Confront Global Disinformation
Algiers, Algeria | May 3rd, 2025 — As Algeria joins the global community in commemorating World Press Freedom Day this Saturday, its national media sector stands at a transformative crossroads. In a world increasingly fractured by disinformation, manipulation, and geopolitical turbulence, Algerian journalists are being called upon to assume renewed roles, responsibilities, and ethical commitments befitting the historic legacy and sovereign dignity of their country.
With regional tensions mounting and international narratives often distorted, Algeria’s national media is more than ever viewed as a strategic pillar of resistance and truth, entrusted with defending the country’s honorable stances and projecting its civilizational depth. This mission, according to the Minister of Communication, Mohamed Laagab, is fully supported by state institutions which, he affirms, are “unequivocally committed to accompanying journalists in their professional and patriotic responsibilities.”
This commitment is personified at the highest levels of leadership. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who holds deep respect and appreciation for the press, has taken bold and historic decisions in recent years to bolster journalists’ rights and improve their working conditions. Earlier this year, he convened an unprecedented meeting with directors of both public and private media outlets, engaging with them transparently on sectoral concerns and national issues. He continues to meet periodically with media representatives to ensure open dialogue and institutional responsiveness.
In alignment with this presidential vision, the Ministry of Communication has recently organized regional conferences in Oran, Constantine, Ouargla, and Algiers, providing a platform for journalists across the country to address professional challenges, reflect on industry reforms, and explore strategies to elevate Algerian journalism to international standards.
These gatherings also laid the groundwork for building a new media paradigm anchored in responsibility, credibility, and professionalism. The government’s reform agenda is centered on establishing a robust legal framework aligned with international norms. The finalized organic law on information, along with complementary regulations governing print, electronic, and audiovisual media, is set to bring clarity to the rights and obligations of journalists while reinforcing ethical standards.
One of the most significant initiatives is the drafting of a special professional statute for journalists, aimed at safeguarding editorial independence, defining working conditions, and ensuring accountability in media practices. This statute is designed to combat misinformation and slander, ensuring that Algerian media remains immune to sensationalism and foreign agendas.
Moreover, the forthcoming High Council for Journalism Ethics and Deontology, expected to be launched following the enactment of relevant regulations, will act as a sentinel for media integrity. Meanwhile, the revival of the Press Support Fund, which extends assistance to print, electronic, and audiovisual outlets, underscores the state’s resolve to professionalize and diversify the media landscape.
This investment in the human capital of journalism is seen as crucial. The Ministry continues to prioritize ongoing training and specialization, believing that the future lies in nurturing a new generation of journalists who are not only technically skilled but also intellectually equipped to navigate complex national and international developments. These journalists, it insists, must become defenders of national interests, unwavering in their pursuit of truth and reliability.
In an era when some foreign media outlets have been reduced to instruments of propaganda serving hostile agendas, neutrality is no longer an option. The national media must act as a fortress of truth, confronting smear campaigns and distortion with professionalism, accuracy, and resolve.
United in this cause, Algeria’s journalists are consolidating efforts to build a strong national media front capable of defending Algeria’s image on the global stage, supporting just causes across the world, and illuminating the realities of a nation often misunderstood or misrepresented.
