Zuhair Al-Jazairy, Iraqi Journalists’ Union
Newspapers are obviously very important in any society, but probably more so for Iraq in its current position. Pre-occupation there was only one newspaper - Ba’athist propaganda - but now there are approximately 115 newspapers. The public is not used to so much choice and are not sure what to trust.
Most old-wave journalists have returned from exile; they come mainly from intellectual/literary backgrounds. Many were trained in the propaganda-era and are not used to challenging authority. They were exiled in 3 waves, firstly during the Ba’athification of Iraq, later during Iran-Iraq War and finally during the UN Sanctions. On the other side, most new-wave journalists have very little experience of journalism. But they are a new generation, with a different culture.
Global media companies pose major problems because they can and do employ Iraqi media personnel to report for them for far greater pay than local newspapers. This is dangerous work, in a time of transition.
There is a ‘hidden militia’, i.e. tribal and religious groups that target newspapers and staff. Correspondents and journalists must avoid being targeted and kidnapped. For this reason one needs to temper language when writing about these groups. Companies, when criticised, can hire militias to target media personnel. There is also a threat from the US military, if you are seen as anti-Iraqi-journalists. Journalists have been shot by US snipers, dubbed ‘unknown killers’ and no investigations take place.
Theoretically journalists are now free to criticise the current authorities, the US military and Iraqi Government, but there is no guarantee of this freedom as it could be withdrawn at any time as this right is not protected by law.
At military press conferences, journalists who are not sympathetic to authorities have been accused of ‘encouraging violence’. But there is a fine line between freedom and responsibility. There is a responsibility not to inflame hostilities with an armed population - careless reporting could create large-scale internal conflict.
There can be no free and independent trade unions without free and independent media and there is no guarantee of this - 'one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter.'
Journalism is still considered a good profession, especially for women. Female journalists (wearing headscarves) have been sent to Fallujah safely as they have sensitivity and are treated respectfully by militias.
Broadcast journalists used to also be covered by this union, but they will probably be separate in the future
There was a change of leadership after discovery of financial corruption and of government involvement in the selection of new committee members. The present government does not have experience of labour relations and there is currently no mechanism or structure to lobby government with. We need to be deciding for ourselves how we want the union to develop.
IRAQ: Journalists call for greater freedom
BAGHDAD, 16 June (IRIN) - Iraqi journalists called for greater press freedom and respect for their profession at a conference held in the capital, Baghdad on 14-15 June.
The event was organised by the independent Iraqi National Communication and Media Commission (INCMC), following reported cases of abuse of journalists. The body was formed after the fall of the former government in April 2003.
The conference, entitled "A new future for media in Iraq", involved discussions held under six subject headings; democracy, journalist's rights, security issues, freedom in writing, transparency and the history of journalism in Iraq.
"The rights of Iraqi journalists should be recognised by the government as well as the international forces in the country. This conference is a big step in the search for their rights in a legal way," president of the INCMC, Mufid Jazaire, said.
Documentary videos were shown during the meeting, showing testimonies of Iraqi and foreign journalists, speaking about their experiences of working under dangerous conditions and being targeted by both insurgents and Coalition forces.
According to the INCMC, 29 journalists have been killed since the 2003 war and 56 have been kidnapped by different factions within the country.
The names of those killed in the course of their professional duties were displayed during the conference and were remembered with a one minute silence.
During Saddam Hussein's regime, only five newspapers were printed in the country and then only after approval from the Iraqi government. In addition, reception of satellite TV transmissions was banned.
Today more than 100 newspapers are in circulation and hundreds of TV channels received via satellite. Even so, concerns about censorship were still voiced.
"Dozens of journalists have been censored, especially those that show the reality and bad action taken by security forces in the country," Hashen Mahsen, president of the Organisation for the Defence of Journalists Rights (ODJR), said.
Nearly 200 journalists attended the event, which also included proposals for a quality control commission to be established to monitor reports and prevent the media from transmitting inaccurate information.
Journalists from northern Iraq asked for a review of press laws in the region, saying that they were still being censored. The Commission promised to assist and increase press freedom in the north of the country.
The conference ended with an address from the director of the BBC's Arabic service in Iraq, Safa'a Saleh, who brought to mind the suffering and terror experienced by many journalists working in the country.
"Iraqi and foreign journalists have been suffering with attacks and threats from many sources. It's the biggest opportunity for them to call for their rights and bring a brilliant and free journalism to the new democratic Iraq," he said
IFJ Baghdad Centre Focus on Safety as Three More Journalists Die in Iraq’s Media Nightmare
20/05/2005
Three Iraqi journalists have been assassinated in “cold-blooded and ruthless executions” on the roadside south of Baghdad reports the safety office of the International Federation of Journalists in Iraq.
The attack took place on Sunday when the journalists were travelling to Kerbala from Baghdad. They were among 13 passengers in a minibus that was stopped by an armed group who picked out the journalists when they showed their press cards. The rest of the passengers were freed, but Najem Abd Khudair, the Kerbala correspondent for the newspaper Al Mada, Ahmad Adam, a freelance writer for Al Mada and trainee journalist, Ali Jassem Al Rumi, working for Al Safeer newspaper in Baghdad were then killed.
“These colleagues were savagely murdered,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “They had their throats cut in cold-blooded and ruthless executions that are a cruel demonstration of the horrors of working in journalism in Iraq today.”
These latest killings bring to 85 the number of journalists and media staff killed in Iraq since the US and British invasion in March 2003. Of this number some 62, almost 80 per cent, are Iraqi. The number also includes 14 deaths at the hands of US troops, which have prompted the IFJ and others to demand independent reports on the circumstances.
The IFJ is also demanding that US and Iraq authorities free eight Iraqi journalists, most working for western media, who were arrested in March allegedly because “they pose a security risk to the Iraqi people and coalition forces.”
“These arrests, without formal charges, are nothing short of intimidation,” said White. “Journalism in Iraq is in the deepest crisis and the authorities should bring forward clear charges or release these journalists immediately. The uncertainty and injustice of arrest and arbitrary detention is intolerable.”
The IFJ opened its safety office in Baghdad last month with the support of Iraqi journalists who have created the Iraqi National Journalism Advisory Panel to improve levels of protection for journalists, to campaign for journalists’ rights and to encourage journalists to work together in the current crisis.
“Iraqi journalists get no training, they have no safety equipment, they have no insurance or social protection,” said White. “The Baghdad centre, which is drafting guidelines on safety precautions for journalists in Iraq, provides much-needed support.”
The centre has produced and issued media and journalists in Iraq with a special safety package -- an Iraqi edition of the safety manual Live News in Arabic, first aid kits, and a CD-Rom guide to security and protection for media staff.
For further information please contact +32 2 235 22 07
The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 110 countries