Reports

Iraq’s volatile politics, punctuated by a hard-fought national election and protracted negotiations over a new government, dominated the headlines in 2010. IWPR Iraq senior media adviser Hiwa Osman analyses the performance of Iraq’s party-driven media over the last 12 months. How would you assess the Iraqi news media’s coverage of politics this year, and...
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Once again, the people of Kurdistan have realized that neither the media nor those who raised a brouhaha over President Barzani’s statement about self-determination seem to have understood or want to understand what the new Iraq is about. Barzani has been under fire for publicly stating that Kurds have a right to self-determination, an...
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The role of the US in Iraq is becoming less and less relevant, and this is not because of the onslaught of Wikileaks.Washington’s recent failed attempts to form Iraq’s next government show less interest in the details of Baghdad politics and more concern with finishing what they have at hand.The eye of the US...
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Last weekend, I conducted a training course for the staff of an emerging Kurdish TV station that says it wants to uphold the values of strong, professional journalism.News judgment was heavily emphasized in the course. This skill is fundamental for professional journalists and builds a news outlet’s credibility as well as its audience. For...
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Even as Iraq’s leaders congratulate each other on resolving bitter disputes over the country’s top executive positions, another battle has emerged for the coveted ministerial posts.This new round of political jockeying has raised the most pressing question facing the new Iraq: is Iraq a true democracy or an ethno-sectarian system? Is it ruled by...
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Since the very beginning of the 2010 political process, the Iraqiya bloc has fed its supports a steady diet of disappointments. From day one, the mostly Sunni and secular coalition has lost credibility with its allies, foes, analysts and the regional and international players who once saw the grouping as a game-changer in the...
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