Media during the Algerian revolution
1– Media status before the revolution
When the armed revolution erupted in the beginning of November 1954, the media situation in Algeria was controlled by the daily French colonial press, and the national press consisted of weekly newspapers belonging to the political parties that existed back then, or the religious associations.
–”The Algerian Republic” newspaper: It was established by “Farhat Abbas” in March 1946. It served to highlight the party’s demands.
– “Al-Bassair” newspaper: It was considered as the speaker of the Algerian Islamic scholars’ association, which was the fourth newspaper, after the disruption of “Al-suna”, “Al-Chariaa”, “Al-sirat”, and its first edition was released on December 27th 1935.
– Al-Djazair Horra: A newspaper released by the party of Democratic triomphe liberties movement. It started as a bimonthly, then became a weekly newspaper, and it was published in French from August 1949 to November 1954. In August 1954, when the dissent happened in the movement, the Mossalis had owned the “Al-Djazair Horra” newspaper, but the centralists took the “Umma Djazairia” newspaper.
–Al-Manar: A bimonthly newspaper, that seemed independent from the outside, however it belonged to the party of Democratic triomphe liberties movement, and it was released from March 1951, up until November 1953, then it gained independence from the party then was suspended.
– “Algérie Républicaine” newspaper: It was released by the Algerian communist party, at first it was a weekly newspaper, then became daily one, until the colonial authorities confiscated it in 1957 AD, after the joining of some of the party’s members to the revolution.
– The revolutionary committee newspaper “Le Patriote”: It was released once the establishment of the revolutionary committee of union and work had been announced, to then be distributed to all the officials of the propaganda and media in the party’s divisions. Many leading militants participated in the edition of its topics, including: “Larbi Ben M’hidi”, "Mourad Didouche”. Only six editions have been released, and the last one was on July 5th 1954
2– The media policy of the Algerian revolution
The revolution needed a revolutionary media that contributed to the liberation from France. The tasks consisted of:
To be a focal point between the revolution and the people, and to let people know about the truth regarding the armed conflict with the French colonization.
To mobilize the popular masses, in order to surround the revolution and support it financially and morally targeting liberation and independence.
To insulate Algerian people from the French media , and from its psychological and ideological wars.
To convey the revolution’s picture to the external world that can be divided into two fronts: An external front in France to win the French public opinion, and a global front to win the global public opinion.
To face and respond to the enemy’s media, and refute its propagandas.
–Flyers as a first media tool:
At the beginning of the attacks of November 1954, the National Liberation Front did not have its own media tool, therefore its media activism started through flyers, and distributing the “Night of the first November declares the outbreak of the struggle” flier, knowing that two French flyers had been released before. The first one had one paper about the National Liberation Army, it was short, simple and strongly distributed on the Algerians, inviting them to armed action. The second one had two papers (two pages), and it was a call from the National Liberation Front. The goal from distributing the November 1st statement was to mobilize the Algerian Popular masses to collect the national energies, social groups, and political parties around the revolution, thus having those masses on the revolutionists’ side.
–Advocacy work through oral personal contact:
All the militants across the national territory started pursuing another strategy aiming at mobilizing the Algerian public opinion through oral and personal contact.
In order to achieve that goal, regiments have been made to move from one place to another, passing by tribes and small villages. This is where the first contacts operation started, with the regions’ inhabitants, aiming at explaining the goals of armed combat, and the necessity to join the ranks of National Liberation Army, in addition to inducing the revolutionists support by standing with them and supplying them with food, clothing, medication, and ammunition, to eliminate the spies and traitors, adding to that collecting the news.
– Letters:
Written letters go hand in hand with the oral ones and oral media, where the Front used to send many personal letters, including the ones sent to:
–Collaborators with the enemy: warning them about how dangerous it is on people and their lives together, and sometimes informing them about their verdicts and when it is going to be executed.
–Centenarians: Asking for financial aid from them, and asking them not to attack the revolution’s militants, and if they don’t follow the instructions , they would be treated as traitors, and will be sentenced by the courts of revolution.
– Releasing newscasts:
When the revolution started, the National Liberty Front was not able to release its own newspaper, given that the written press had some basic conditions, like the printing house, paper, and the distribution network, but still the revolution faced this problem by giving a chance to the different provinces to release their newspapers and newscasts, so they published:
– First region: Al-Watan newscast
–Second region: Al-Jabal newscast
–Third region: Al-Nahda newscast
–Fourth region: Harb Al Isabat newscast
–Fifth region: Sada Al-Titteri newscast
–Releasing newspapers:
Starting from 1955, the National Liberty Front decided to release newspapers in the name of the revolution, so one was released in France, the second one in Tetouan in Morocco, and the third one in Tunisia, and the three of them were named the same “The Algerian Revolution”. They were printed in Arabic and French languages, then a fourth newspaper was released in the city of Algiers in June 1956, it was in Arabic and French, and was named “Al-Mujahid”.
In 1957, the leaders of the Algerian revolution decided to standardize the revolutionary press and give it some strength, so it gathered its media efforts in one newspaper, and decided to suspend the publication of the “Algerian Revolution” newspaper with all its editions, and resume the release of “Al-Mujahid” as a weekly newspaper that had from 8 to 16 pages. The first series was released in Tetouan, and from October 1957, it started to be published in Tunisia and lasted until independence.
The media section of “Al-Mujahid” newspaper” was based on:
**Defending and expressing the thoughts of the National Liberation Front.
**Working on the internationalization of the Algerian affair.
**Exposing the enemy’s tactics and propagandas in front of the local and international public opinion.
Furthermore, the public organizations have released its newspapers, such as: “ Al Amil Al Jazairi”, “Lilummal”, “Chabab Al Djazairi”, “Lichabiba”. The ministry of Media had also released during the interim government “The Political Newscast” , in addition to “Al Mujahid” newspaper that was considered as the central speaker of the National Liberation Front.
–Audio media:
The radio had an important role in tingling the feelings, and mass mobilization through “Al-Djazair Horra Mokafiha Radio” starting from 1956, and “Saout Al-Djazair” was released from the radios of Tunisia, Morocco, Cairo, Damascus since mid 1955, and from almost all the Arab countries.
–Saout Al-Arab Radio in Cairo:
Saout Al-Arab radio was the first station that announced the birth of the National Liberation Front, and advocated joining the combattants’ board.
Moreover, on November 1st 1954 at 6 PM, the Radio stated the following: “The great combat for freedom, Arabic and Islam started today in Algeria, and at 1 AM on the fifth day of Rabiaa Al-Awwal 1374 A.H that corresponds to November 1st 1954 Algeria started to live a descent life. Today the strong elite of the free Algerian people announced their disobedience for Algerian freedom against the French oppressive imperialism in Northern Africa.” Afterwards, an overall view had been given about the events according to what “Boudiaf” was providing.
–”Al-Djazair Horra Mokafiha” Radio
It was established on December 16th 1956, and on this occasion, flyers were distributed, to inform people about the establishment of an Algerian national radio in the center of Algeria. The listening hours were fixed, as well as the frequencies’ length through its geographically indefinite sound.
This revolutionary radio was secret and moving across the Moroccan borders,to avoid being exposed by the French surveillance means, which is a truck that contains a transmitting device made specially for military needs. Adding to that, a microphone, a recorder, a CD player, and a generator. In September 1957 it was suspended, then resumed again on July 12th 1959.
This radio was consistently working through its programs that start with the following expression: “ Al-Djazair Horra Mokafiha radio the voice of the National Liberation Front is talking to you from the very center of Algeria.” to achieve the following goals:
Lift the spirits of the National Liberation army soldiers, and motivate them to strongly face the enemy.
It was able to reunite Algerians, make them cohesive, and believe in victory.
It played a fundamental role in soldiering large numbers of Algerian people to stand within their revolution, and supporting it financially and humanly to eradicate colonization.
To transfer the state’s reports, and those of the different regions of Algeria. To introduce the victories of the National Liberation army forces, and promote it to the national and international public opinion.
To make the international public opinion (generally) and the Arab one (specifically) hear the voice of Algerian people, tingling the feelings and convincing them with the justice of the Algerian affair. Consequently, the number of the revolution’s supporters increased.
To expose the criminal and inhuman operations the French colonize used to practice on unarmed people.
–Diplomatic contact:
Algerian diplomacy had a fundamental role in internationalization of the Algerian matter in International forums, and its officers played a major role on the regional and international level in explaining the Algerian matter and exposing France's colonial policy, and in the sensitization of the international public opinion about it. The Algerian diplomacy used several methods to achieve its goals, including:
Giving lectures.
Organizing exhibitions.
Sending art and sports delegations in tours around the world to introduce the Algerian matter.
Algeria’s participation in international conferences, like The Bandung Conference in 1955 for Asian-African countries, where the delegates showed their absolute support to the Algerian revolution, the friendship conference between African and Asian people, and the African people conference, and the United Nations Entity that took it as a platform for its external policy.
–External Media offices:
The external Media offices of the National Liberation Front played an effective role in making the voice of revolution heard, as was the case of the Cairo office which is the first media office opened by the Front in 1955, to then open other media offices in the other Arab countries, such as: Damascus, Beirut , Omman. However, Tunisia and Morocco opened offices right after their independence in 1956.
In March 1956, the Front opened its media office in New-York which contributed in giving the Algerian revolution a push, and it was very important because it was close to the United Nations’ headquarter. In April and May 1956, new media offices were opened in Jakarta, New Delhi, Karachi. Meantime in 1957, the Front opened new offices in the capitals of the socialist countries, like Prague, Moscow, Pekin, Belgrade, and even in Latin America like Brazil, Argentina, while the National Liberation Front had not started its media activity in Europe until the beginning of 1958 by opening offices in London, Stockholm, Rome, Bonn, and Geneva. However, Africa started its advertising activity in 1958 by opening offices in Accra, Conakry, and Bamako, by the time it merely sent advertising delegations to Kenya, and Uganda.
