Iraq
Since the fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq witnessed an incredible upsurge in new media outlets as restrictions on the media were dramatically reduced. At the same time, however, financial sustainability combined with polarization in society as well as the difficult security situation throughout the country pose serious challenges to the media causing many to close down. IMS activities include support to strengthen the development of independent media in Iraq.Archive
- Investigative journalism a perilous business in Iraq
- Media support organisations come together in Iraq
- Iraq: Connecting bloggers with traditional media
- Hotline for journalists opens in Iraq
- Challenges of media in Iraq deeply rooted in society, says Iraqi editor
- Bloggers in Iraq: "Blogging is a way to breathe"
- Iraqi bloggers come together in Sulimanyah
- Journalists under continued threat in Iraqi Kurdistan
- Iraqi journalist wins award for best investigation
- Female journalists fight for press freedom in Iraq
- Media programme in Iraq set to continue for next two and a half years
- IMS partner killed in Baghdad
- A network of social media activists in Iraq
- IMS strengthens media programme in Iraq
- Media unsettled by demonstrations in Iraq
- Need for watchdog journalism in Iraq
- Landmark agreement between Iraqi newspapers
- Democracy stutters in Iraq
- Iraqi media conference breaks isolation
- Danish journalists visit Iraq
- Booming media sector defy security challenges
Media unsettled by demonstrations in Iraq
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In Iraqi civil society organisations have called for nationwide demonstrations on Friday 25 February to demand democratic reforms similar to those in the Middel East. IMS media partners in Iraq voice concern that the government will respond with violence
IMS media partners in Iraq are concerned about ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad and the Kurdish northern region. The government response to the demonstrations so far has been violent towards civilians and severe towards journalists.
IMS Programme Coordinator Osama al-Hababeh explained the difficulty for Iraqi newspapers:
- The media is facing a new challenge: how to integrate these demonstrations into their daily coverage. The newspapers are being accused of calling for unrest and violence and are being sued on a daily basis by the government, which has its own media and is not covering the events, for covering the demonstrations.
On the 25th of February, civil societies have called for a nationwide Pan-Iraq demonstration to unite all ethnicities and religions in a demand for greater democratic rights.
Mr al-Hababeh points out that some Iraqi journalists are fearful of the consequences:
- Last week’s demonstrations had 50 injured and 3 killed in Sulaymaniah and many more in Baghdad. Our partners are worried that these large demonstrations will face very tough security measures and more people will get killed and injured.
Iraq has become one of the newest countries to join the wave of anti-autocracy demonstrations spreading around the Middle East that began in Tunisia, Egypt and most recently extended to Libya. Though the countries are distinct in character, the protesters seem to be motivated by the same desire, and Iraq is no different says Mr. Al Hababeh:
- Young people in Iraq face the same difficulties as young people in Egypt and Libya: a lack of participation and a lack of democracy. They want to fight the corruption rooted in Iraq and they want human rights, democratic rights; they are just calling for the same rights as everyone else.
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