EMERGING MEDIA IN PERIL

Abstract

After the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in April 2003, Iraqi media have witnessed a remarkable growth in number and diversity. From the Western journalistic perspective, the invasion is often viewed as a form of “liberation” in terms of press freedom. Over the five years following the collapse of the Saddam regime, new threats and restraints have emerged to ensnare the Iraqi media in various forms of legal, political, religious, and physical dangers against journalists. Based on in-depth interviews with 22 Iraqi journalists working in the country, this study found that the Iraqi media have become poignantly partisan and operate under various restraints by the Iraqi government, as well as pressures from political parties and religious groups. The research also found that Iraqi journalists are under constant threat of murder and abduction by terrorists and militants. All fore-mentioned factors work against Iraqi journalists and their yearnings for press freedom after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Whether or not the fledgling Iraqi media transform themselves into more liberal media will depend upon how the political turmoil, sectarian violence, and foreign interventions in the country play out in the years ahead.