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Weeks of anti-government protests have helped Algerian journalists free themselves from state-imposed censorship, but their work remains complicated and is often challenged by protesters.
After the first demonstrations that broke out in February, journalists working for state media complained that their superiors had imposed a total ban on the protesters against Abdelaziz's offer. Bouteflika to run for a fifth presidential term.
The protests have since made headlines on private and public television channels, with live footage of events nationwide.
Recently, Friday, the main day of protests, TV crews were shouted and cursed by protesters as "bad baders".
"This reflects the hatred" that the protesters feel for the main private TV channels because they totally ignored the first rallies, said Khaled Drareni of Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The lack of coverage triggered a shock in Algeria where private channels are generally fast and often broadcast live reports.
But they belong mainly to businessmen close to Bouteflika.
Drareni, himself a journalist, said the media "tried to redeem itself" by focusing on the demonstrations, but they also reported alleged "manipulations" of the protest movement.
State television staff protested against censorship in the capital, Algiers. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP)
A small revolt is brewing in the public sector media, with many journalists saying that they refuse to be silenced.
Last week, dozens of journalists employed by state radio and television organized their own sit-in to demand more freedom.
The journalists of the public television channel EPTV meet weekly, chanting "free television" or covering their mouths to denounce censorship.
"Small windows" of change
"There have been changes, there are small windows that have opened," Imene Khemici told EPTV during a demonstration.
"We now have two specialized programs in which we can invite people of different political tendencies, people of the opposition who can speak openly."
Opposition figures and former leaders, banned for a quarter of a century, are back on the air.
"The most striking thing is the evolution of public media, especially radio," said Omar Belhouchet, director of the private newspaper El Watan.
For example, Francophone radio station Chaine 3 now broadcasts live broadcasts several times a week, a feature that was previously banned.
"Financial pressure"
In the late 1980s, Algeria saw the emergence of dozens of privately owned media, but their freedoms were quickly stifled by the outbreak of the bloody civil war in the country in 1992.
Several journalists were killed by Islamist groups during the decade of conflict, and the military imposed strict censorship on the media.
During the twenty years of Bouteflika 's reign, Algeria' s index of freedom of the press has deteriorated considerably.
In its latest report, the RSF media monitoring group ranked Algeria 136th out of 180 countries, mainly due to "political and financial pressures" imposed by the authorities.
The survival of Algerian newspapers largely depends on the revenues of publicly funded advertising.
Private advertising comes mainly from business-related pillars of the regime, said media sociologist Redouane Boudjemaa.
The media "reflect the diversity of clans within the political system rather than the diversity of the Algerian population," said Boudjemaa.
He warned that the changes in Algeria would not necessarily pave the way for greater media independence.
Protesters rallied at a rally organized by state television employees against censorship in the capital, Algiers. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP)
"In a way, we went from censorship to misinformation, especially on private channels," he said.
However, a group of state media reporters are trying to build on the progress made in recent weeks.
They drafted a charter of 40 articles defining rules and regulations and submitted the text to the new director of national television in the hope of adopting it.
Communication Minister Hbadane Rahebi has set up a committee to guarantee the "transparency" of state-funded advertising in order to avoid its use to put pressure on it.
"This popular movement will open new perspectives, including for press freedom," said El Watan's Belhouchet.
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