Transnational Narratives

'Le Matin' and the Construction of Latin America's Image in Morocco

Abstract

This study aims to examine the construction of Latin America's image in the Moroccan newspaper Le Matin during a period marked by significant political and social transformations in both regions, spanning from 2001 to 2021. Through a quantitative content analysis of a diverse corpus of selected articles, significant patterns of coverage, key terms, and narrative frames in the representation of this region were identified. The findings reveal that a substantial 60% of the analyzed articles focused on political and economic events, highlighting a particular interest in countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela, which have been protagonists of radical changes over these two decades. This focus underscores a recurrent media attention to crises and economic opportunities, political struggles, and social movements that have characterized the contemporary dynamics of Latin America. This work not only enriches our understanding of the role of the media in constructing narratives about other regions of the world but also illuminates how such representations can influence public perception and, consequently, international relations. This analysis contributes to the discussion on the impact of media representations in shaping imaginaries and forming opinions about Latin America in the Moroccan context, thus offering a valuable perspective for the study of intercultural communication and international politics