Information as a strategic resource: elite power dynamics and media control in Tunisia

The article analyzes the role of information as a strategic resource in the power structure within the context of Tunisia’s evolution, with the aim of studying how control of information has shaped the political context since the Tunisian Uprising. The study focuses on the reemergence of elite control over the media and public discourse, particularly during the term of President Kaïs Saied, drawing parallels with the regime of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. The analysis adopts the theoretical framework of the sociology of power, which conceptualizes power as a continuous competition between actors seeking to maintain or improve their hierarchical positions through the use of resources such as information. The methodology combines historical analysis with a case study focusing on recent developments in the country. The results indicate a trajectory in which the 2011 revolution is interpreted as a ‘linear’ temporal transformation of power, led by a mobilized population, with a return to ‘circular’ power relations marked by competition between elites and the marginalization of citizens, which has redefined the media landscape under Saied’s leadership. It concludes that control of information remains a central mechanism for sustaining hierarchical structures in Tunisia, showing continuity between past and present authoritarian practices.