An incident that has shaken the media and drama world has sent social networking sites into an uproar as accusations were exchanged between channels and experts for purchasing fake viewings of Algeria’s Ramadan series.
The controversy began with the series “Al Muhajir,” which was announced to have achieved 42 million views in the first week of Ramadan, a figure some described as a record. However, competitors of the channels that aired the productions questioned the validity of these figures, stressing that some channels may have paid thousands of dollars to buy views to increase the popularity of their productions, which some channels may have considered smuggling overseas.
In a shocking reaction, the channel’s director said the accusations were fabricated and politically and commercially motivated, accusing certain parties of trying to distort the channel’s reputation and influence censorship authorities.
Media experts said that while it is technically possible to buy views on platforms such as YouTube, it can be easily spotted by the high number of views and lack of interaction or comments, and relying on this method is not healthy for a channel as it undermines the credibility of the content.
On the other hand, some critics believe that the success of the Al-Migrant series can be explained by its reliance on local influences, such as the main character Rifka, who helped popularize the work through videos and short clips before its official broadcast, and stress that the high ratings are not necessarily the result of deception, but can rather be the result of the true popularity of the heroes and the dramatic work itself.
The issue has sparked widespread debate among the Algerian public, leading to heated debates over the ethics of digital advertising and the competition for views on the internet, amid questions about the extent of the phenomenon’s impact on the local media industry during Ramadan.
After mutual accusations between channels and experts regarding the purchase of fake viewings of the Algerian Ramadan series, social media went into an uproar, shaking the media and drama community.
The controversy began with the series “Al Muhajir,” which was announced to have achieved 42 million views in the first week of Ramadan, a figure some have described as record-breaking. But the channel’s competitors, which broadcast the show, questioned the validity of those numbers, arguing that some channels may have paid thousands of dollars to buy views to boost the popularity of their work, which some consider to be a form of money laundering overseas.
In a shocking reaction, the channel’s director said the charges were trumped up and driven by political and commercial motives, accusing certain parties of trying to damage the channel’s reputation and influence regulators.
Media experts said that while it is technically possible to buy views on platforms such as YouTube, it can be easily revealed by a spike in views with little interaction or comments. They also pointed out that relying on this method is not healthy for the channel as it undermines the authenticity of the content.
On the contrary, some critics believe that the success of the series “Al-Muhajir” can be explained by its reliance on local influence, such as lead actor Rifka, who helped popularize the program through videos and short clips before its official broadcast, and argue that the high viewership ratings are not necessarily the result of fraud, but can be a true reflection of the popularity of the actors and the drama itself.
The issue sparked widespread debate among Algerian viewers, leading to heated debates over the ethics of digital advertising and the race for views online, amid questions about the impact of this phenomenon on the local media industry during Ramadan.
