ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the conflicting relationship between the media and the ruling elite; it looks at how the issue of promoting human rights shapes this relationship. Algeria is no exception and the relationship between the ruling elite and the media has never been linear, especially regarding human rights. However, unlike other Arab regimes, Algeria’s avoids repression that could have counterproductive effects, especially in term of international visibility. Instead, it prefers more subtle methods, such as blackmail by withdrawing advertising or encouraging the creation of media relays (private TV channels, newspapers, or even online news sites) to limit the impact some recalcitrant media could have on society.
