[2] According to the co-founder, the name "Hespress" derives from the mythical Land of the Hesperides, sometimes said to be located in modern Morocco, and the English word "press.

[2] In 2008, Hespress gained popularity when it hosted videos from Mounir Agueznay, a young activist who exposed corruption within police and security officers.

[2] The arrest of regular contributor Mohamed Erraji for a column critical of the Moroccan monarchy, which was reported on Al Jazeera, also contributed to an increase in visits to the website.

[5][6] 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.

[1] In 2012, Forbes Middle East ranked Hespress third on its list of the most powerful news websites in the Arab world.