AJMI - Doha

Researcher Anas Al-Shaara conducted a research paper entitled: 'Journalism and Social Sciences in the Moroccan Context: Reality of the relationship and requirements for change,' within the framework of the Al Jazeera Media Institute Fellowship, supervised by Dr. Mohammed Al-Raji, a researcher at the Al Jazeera Center for Studies.

The study, conducted by Anas — holder of master’s degree in political communication from the Higher Institute of Information and Communication in Rabat — seeks to diagnose the gap between academic approaches and professional practices in Moroccan journalism, focusing on weak integration between sociological knowledge and performance of journalists.

It also sheds light on factors that shape journalism labor market, such as academic and economic incentives and their role in shaping training programs and specializations of new journalists.

The study, which presented as a research paper to Al Jazeera Fellowship initiative, recommended enhancing journalists’ training programs to incorporate social science concepts and strengthening cooperation between the two fields in order to improve analytical standards and understanding of societal realities within Morocco’s media sector.

It is worth noting that Al Jazeera Fellowship Program, launched by the institute eight years ago, aims to promote academic research and provide journalists and researchers with opportunities to explore and study practical experiences in depth, thereby contributing, along with many Arab and international institutions, to advancement of journalism and its progression into the future.