Signing of the MOU marking a historical agreement between Iraqi media houses. Photo: IMS

12 independent Iraqi newspapers with different religious, ethnic and political backgrounds signed a landmark agreement to establish a new and much-needed joint distribution service

Owners and editors in chief of several independent Iraqi daily newspapers signed a cooperation agreement on 9 June at a meeting in Beirut to reform the distribution system in their country. The media will explore the option of setting up a new system through a company in which all of them will be shareholders.

- We made history today in Beirut; it is the first time in Iraq media history, that independents newspapers are joining and creating a cooperative mechanism for distribution in the country, said Ismayeel Zayer, editor in chief of the independent Iraqi newspaper Alsabah Aljadeed to IMS.

IMS, which actively supports a network of 12 independent media in Iraq, helped broker the agreement and provide logistical support for the meeting in Beirut in close collaboration with the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

Newspaper distribution by taxi

The distribution of newspapers in Iraq was reduced to ten percent of what it used to be in the first three years after the US-led invasion of 2003. In the first three years, distribution peaked at around a quarter of a million newspapers per day, but this became a cherished memory after Shi’ite militias in 2006 occupied most cities and towns in the South. Especially independent newspapers such as Azzaman (The Times) and Alsabah Aljadeed (New Morning) were denied entry to the media markets.

Especially the independent newspapers have been eager to reform the system, but have not been able to do so singlehandedly. Kurdish weeklies tried to set up a distribution system for their publications alone, but came to the conclusion that they needed partners and more newspapers and magazines to make it really cost-effective and professional. At the moment taxi drivers are the distribution system, picking up the issues and driving them across cities and regions.

- Establishing a common distribution network is a major first step in the cooperation between these newspapers, says Osama Al-Habahbeh, IMS’ Iraq programme Coordinator.

- The media have committed to working together despite political, ideological and religions differences towards the common goal of establishing a joint distribution network. The next step will be to look at joint printing facilities as well as coordinating import of paper, as the quality of the paper used in Iraqi newspapers today in very poor, he said.

Internet a limited distribution option

Already before the historic meeting in Beirut this week, talks had taken place with government and politically affiliated newspapers that were positive about creating a new distribution system, as they too had suffered from the collapse of the distribution system. Internet is still not an option for spreading information in Iraq, as only an estimated five percent of Iraqi homes have internet. Power cuts also prevent hundreds of internet cafes from operating a reliable service.

Most people read news on the internet while on the job and most Iraqis can only access news through one of the twelve satellite televisions in the country. Many other distribution networks necessary for the retail sector were also damaged in the period from 2006-2008.

Next step joint printing house

At the meeting, the editors in chief also discussed setting up a printing house in the South of the country that would reduce the distance of travel to densely populated areas with tens of thousands of potential readers. The distance between Baghdad and Basra is a little less than 600 km. Even if drivers agree to shuttle between the two cities, the newspapers printed in the capital still need at least six to seven hours to reach the readers in Basra, most often through men and women selling them in busy streets.

For more articles about media in Iraq, read here.

Background: IMS Iraq media programme

Active in Iraq since 2005, IMS supports a network of 12 independent media in Iraq consisting of newspapers and one news agency from various segments of Iraqi society including Shiite, Sunni, Arabs and Kurds. IMS has also paired several Iraqi journalists with Danish journalists through its twinning programme which brings together media professionals from the Arab world and Denmark to share experiences and knowledge.

The second phase of the IMS programme in Iraq began in March 2010 with financial support from the Danish government’s development organisation Danida. In the coming year, the aim is to establish a joint advertising network which runs joint advertising activities and distributes revenue. IMS will also provide support for independent media in managing websites and will seek to strengthen editorial management through in-house courses.