Invisible in the Digital Shift: Hijabophobia, Newsroom Management, and Profit-Driven Exclusion of Hijabi Journalists in Morocco

This article explores the structural invisibility of hijabi journalists in Morocco, analyzing how newsroom management practices, market-driven imperatives, and cultural norms shape their professional exclusion. Grounded in qualitative research, including in-depth interviews, the study critically examines the intersection of gender and religious identity within Moroccan media institutions. It reveals that hijabi journalists are systematically marginalized through informal gatekeeping, aesthetic branding, and editorial biases that position the hijab as incompatible with modern, secular media ideals. Exclusion from on-screen roles, limited access to leadership, and thematic pigeonholing are found to be sustained by both colonial legacies and contemporary performance metrics. The findings expose how symbolic and material barriers converge to undermine the visibility and advancement of hijabi women in the newsroom. By situating these dynamics within broader debates on intersectionality and decolonial feminism, this article underscores the urgent need for inclusive editorial practices that challenge gendered and religious hierarchies in Moroccan journalism.