''Hespress'' ( ar, هسبريس) is an Arabic-language Moroccan online news website, founded in February 2007. As of 2015, ''Hespress'' is the most popular news website in the country.

History

''Hespress'' was founded by Hassan Guennouni and his brother Amine, a computer scientist, in February 2007. At the beginning, the two remained anonymous; Hassan initially wrote under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

Taha Hamdouchi. According to Hassan, the name "Hespress" derives from the mythical Land of the

Hesperides In Greek mythology, the Hesperides (; , ) are the nymphs of evening and golden light of sunsets, who were the "Daughters of the Evening" or "Nymphs of the West". They were also called the Atlantides () from their reputed father, the Titan At ...

, sometimes said to be located in modern Morocco, and the English word "

press Press may refer to: Media * Print media or news media, commonly called "the press" * Printing press, commonly called "the press" * Press (newspaper), a list of newspapers * Press TV, an Iranian television network People * Press (surname), a fam ...

." The website initially positioned itself as an alternative to traditional media, with articles written by bloggers around the world. In 2008, ''Hespress'' gained popularity when it hosted videos from Mounir Agueznay, a young activist who exposed corruption within police and security officers. The arrest of regular contributor Mohamed Erraji for a column critical of the Moroccan monarchy, which was reported on ''

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

'', also contributed to an increase in visits to the website. ''Hespress Magazine'', a weekly print magazine, was announced in November 2012, with the first issue published in January 2013. The magazine was headquartered in Casablanca, and Fouad Madani served as its editor. The magazine focused on long-form content and reporting not suited for the web, with a new editorial team independent of that of the website. However, the magazine proved unprofitable, with the investment costing . The magazine ceased publication in July 2013, with 29 issues having been published in total. Subsequently, the Guennouni brothers launched ''Hesport'', a portal for sports news in Morocco. As of 2015, ''Hesport'' is the 19th-most visited website in the country, ranking third among the country's sports news websites.

Business model

''Hespress'' derives its revenues from

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

. The website initially relied on

Google AdSense Google AdSense is a program run by Google through which website publishers in the Google Network of content sites serve text, images, video, or interactive media advertisements that are targeted to the site content and audience. These advert ...

for advertising revenue, but later shifted its focus to selling advertisement space directly to Moroccan agencies. It structured as a company and started recruiting professional journalists in 2009, with editorial staff located in Rabat. According to Guennouni, the company generated a turnover of up to a month in 2012. The company became profitable in 2011. In 2015, the website started to publish sponsored

advertorials An advertorial is an advertisement in the form of editorial content. The term "advertorial" is a blend (see portmanteau) of the words "advertisement" and "editorial." Merriam-Webster dates the origin of the word to 1946. In printed publications, ...

. As of 2015, the website has 37 staff members, with three dedicated to managing its

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...

page. Over 35% of its readership uses ''Hespress'''s smartphone and tablet apps, while 30% of visits originate from its Facebook page.

Reception

In 2012, ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

Middle East'' ranked ''Hespress'' third on its list of the most powerful news websites in the Arab world. In January 2015, ''Hespress'' became the third most visited website in Morocco after Google and Facebook, surpassing YouTube.

References

External links

* {{Media in Morocco 2007 establishments in Morocco Arabic-language websites Arabic-language newspapers Moroccan news websites