It is almost a year since the last US troops pulled out of
Certainly there have been changes. Under
Post-war reconstruction created a new mould for the Iraqi media. Two speedily drafted orders by the
With satellite dishes flooding in, everyone soon had easy access to countless new Iraqi TV and radio channels, as well as pan-Arab satellite channels and the internet.
Yet a decade on,
It continues to mirror the fractures in Iraqi society, forming a patchwork of politicized TV channels, radio stations, newspapers and websites that largely support a partisan, ethnic or sectarian stance.
Channels come and go depending on financial backing, while the sources of such patronage remain murky. Rumour often points to
Media freedom is as much about the maturity of politicians, journalists and audiences as it is about institutionbuilding and legislative frameworks. As the removal of overt state control was imposed rather than organic, tensions continue in the new system: all post-war Iraqi prime ministers have continued to view the Iraqi Media Network as an organ of state rather than a public service broadcaster. As such it is expected to show the government in a positive light.
State interference is increasingly apparent. In the past year, the
A number of draft laws before parliament threaten to make things worse. One proposes life imprisonment and a fine of 25 million to 50 million Iraqi Dinars (£13,000 to £26,000) for those who destabilise the country by questioning its unity and independence online. A
The two orders issued by the
Twitter: @ihavenet
- The Unfolding Human Catastrophe in Iran
- Netanyahu Foolish to Take Sides in American Election
- Iraq: Ten Years Without a Ministry of Information
- Brokering Votes Becomes Rampant in Lead-up to Jordan's Elections
- War-against-Terror Makes Progress in Post-Saleh Yemen
- Why Al-Qa'ida Found a Hotbed in Yemen
- Arab World Greets Israeli Elections with a Yawn
- Egypt's President Reasserts His Country's Sovereignty in World Affairs
- The Truth Behind the New Islamic Flashpoints
- Middle Eastern Governments Continue to Let Their People Down
- The Islamophobe Fringe
- Iran's Ahmadinejad Cannot Deny His Own Words
- Western Sanctions Not Enough to Sway Iran from Enrichments
- Democratized Media Meets the Arab Political Awakening
- Middle East Madness
- War and Bluff: Iran, Israel and the United States
- Libya: From Gadhafi to Benghazi
- Who Needs Reform Most: Egypt or America?
- The Humpty-Dumpty Middle East
- Possible Stalemate in Syria Lesser of Two Evils
- Sheikhs and Shekels: The Real Cost of Patronage in Yemen
(c) 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.