CE Week #5: “Free press flourishing in Iraq”
Justin Martin
Baltimore Sun
September 30, 2007
During the reign of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi newspaper Azzaman could only be published in London. Fleeing the government’s muscular arm in the 1990s, the newspaper’s founder, former Saddam aide Saad al-Bazzaz, was forced to run his media operation out of Europe for nearly a decade.
But after Saddam’s expulsion in 2003, al-Bazzaz set up offices in Baghdad, and he has since been busy running what is considered Iraq’s most credible Arabic publication. With a daily circulation of more than 75,000, Azzaman is a modern journalistic success story and a publication that has added greater depth to the political debate in Iraq.
Among the relatively few positives to come out of Iraq in the last four years is the growing size and autonomy of its media. While the U.S. invasion of Iraq has caused chaos in so many of the country’s sectors, the removal of Saddam has brought a semblance of order and purpose to Iraqi journalism.
For nearly three decades during Saddam’s supremacy, Iraqi journalists existed only to applaud and glorify the dictator and his imps. Criticism of the government’s higher reaches and investigative reporting were often deadly undertakings. Supervision was fierce. Saddam’s son, Odai, was director of all Iraqi radio and TV stations, owned 11 of Iraq’s newspapers and was the head of the Iraqi journalists union.
With Saddam and his sons gone, journalists in Iraq are enjoying freedom and publication opportunities unimaginable under their previous rulers. Reporters Without Borders announced in 2003 that “a wind of freedom has gusted through the Iraqi media. Genuine diversity and openness are now possible.”
During Saddam’s rule, fewer than 40 Arabic news publications existed; today, they number in the hundreds. “Iraqi readers have been bombarded with new publications,” Arab journalist and scholar Noha Mellor wrote in her 2005 book, “The Making of Arab News.” And Iraqis are voracious news consumers, Mellor writes, welcoming the burgeoning number of available news outlets.
In 2002, the year before Saddam was removed, human rights advocate Freedom House rated Iraq as one of the worst nations in the world in its annual survey of media freedoms. Placing Iraq near the likes of North Korea and Rwanda in the rankings, Freedom House explained that criticism of Saddam and his powerful government appointees was simply not an option for Iraqi reporters. Since then, Iraq has been steadily improving its journalistic standing in the Middle East and around the world.
Now, the greatest impediment to free expression in Iraq is not government censorship but rampant lawlessness. Iraq is by far the most dangerous country in the world for journalists. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 23 reporters died in Iraq in 2005, 32 lost their lives in 2006 and, as of this writing, 19 have died this year. Scores of reporters have also been kidnapped, beaten and threatened by militants during this time.
Still, despite the sectarian brutality that often forces foreign and Iraqi reporters to write their dispatches from hotels and offices, media freedoms in Iraq will likely continue to grow. Journalists in Iraq will not abide a return to their country’s practice of crushing political criticism and open debate. Once people taste freedom, they rarely hunger for anything less.
For their part, too, Iraqi news consumers will not likely permit anything but the continued expansion of journalistic discourse in their country. One of the first things many Iraqis did after Saddam’s regime fell in 2003 was rush out and purchase satellite dishes to view news that wasn’t produced by Saddam’s family.
Iraqi journalists and their audiences are doing many of the right things to encourage a watchdog media and open debate. It is tempting to wonder how much more progress will be made if U.S. and Iraqi leaders ever get a handle on things over there. With stability in Iraq so fragile, it is heartening to know that a vocal press – that indispensable democratic pillar – is coming to life.
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That is so cool that the Iraqi people are finally gaining some freedom. As stated in the Constitution, as Americans, we have the right to freedom of speech and freedom of press. It is about time that the Iraqi’s people are starting to finally getting the same rights as Americans. The best part about it is that maybe some of our customs and ways of government are finally sticking with that Iraqi people. It’s like the article said “Once people taste freedom, they rarely hunger for anything less.” I think it is really sad though that many of the journalists still have to be fairly secretive about their writings. They shouldn’t have to fear for their lives because they just say how they feel. So many people in the United States take that for granted. For instance right now I am writing my opinion on this article right now. I feel so privileged to know that I can right my thoughts down and not go to jail, or worse get killed for my opinions. But I guess if I was writing about a really controversial issue like the Saddam Hussein and how cruel he was, then I might be in fear for my life. I just don’t feel that the Iraqi people should live in fear like that.
This article makes me wonder why all of the criticism on the war is still so fierce. I’m pretty sure that this country has always had campaigns to save Darfur and help Rwanda, and it sure sounds like Iraq was struggling just as much as a lot of other areas in the world. This is one of the many examples of how the US saved the citizens of a country and liberated them. Now if we leave how do we know that the next dictator won’t put the same restrictions on Iraq because signs show that he will. We knew that Saddam was killing his own people and that something needed to be done. We did something. I’m sure that if someone made a movie like “Invisible Children” for Iraq we would feel just as sorry for Iraq. I personally am glad we are there and fighting and not just watching nothing be done. From this article it sounds like these people were stoked to be free and Iraq has been all the better.
The Iraqis are slowly going from censorship to freedom of speech. To me, this is so exciting! The war in Iraq has many against it, and those many don’t see the good. But as military progress is promised to be happening, I think this journalistic progress is important too! Media is one of the key tools we use here in America to educate our people, young and old, about our always changing world, especially politically. As Iraq’s journalism slowly changes and receives far more freedom than they ever had before, it seems to me like the more educated the people reading it will get, and the closer we will become to changing Iraq into a democracy. That is what this war against terror has become, hasn’t it? Changing Iraq into a country more like ours…Overall, I think this change is overwhelming and exciting because this is a positive for Iraq. This is a huge sign of freedom these people have been oppressed from for years under Saddam. My favorite part of the article was the quote, “Once people taste freedom, they rarely hunger for anything less.” This is so true! This is what our country is to me; there is no way (despite massive brainwashing techniques like the Nazis) that American people would allow our country to become a dictatorship. We can freely express our opinions in mannerly fashions, and sometimes not so mannerly, without fear. Thank goodness the Iraqi people are slowly being allowed to feel this too.
This article was truly exciting to read. For once we can see something positive happening in Iraq that is being reported. I think this honestly shows that we do have an influence on the Iraqi people and that our presence is helping. The US believes in freedom of the press, which is now becoming visible in Iraq. How amazing is that? These people haven’t had that freedom and now they do, and they are being encouraged and rapidly growing. Our presence probably has something to do with this. If no one stepped into Iraq, even if Saddam was gone, other radicals would have more power and influence in the country and we would not be seeing the products that we are now. What is happening is great for the people. They want free press and are finally getting it. I think this shows that Iraq is on its way to success. With more encouragement and time I really think it will become a Democratic leader in the Middle East. This article is so heartening. I think if we stay a little bit longer in Iraq we will see more of this. More freedoms being more freely exercised. How awesome would that be? I think it is definitely worth it, for the people there that do not have these freedoms now, and the ones that just gained them for the first time.
Saddam’s hold on the media was definately big brother-esque. I don’t think we should ever underestimate the importance of a free media. The media is an important linkage system and an effective way for people’s voices to be heard; unless you’re a crazed dictator wanting to fill the newspapers with propaganda because you know if the was journalistic freedom writers probably wouldn’t be praising the government. I also applaud the journalists for their bravery. It’s also good to know that the Iraqi people are avid news readers, if only the US would realize the awesome power of free press and begin following the news, news other than the 50 cent and Kanye West album battle (which I admit, I follow, go Kanye). Anyways, a free media is essential to fighting a corrupt government, because it ensures the people are informed and don’t let the government get away with it; as Nixon so harshly learned. Now without Saddam’s son monitoring what gets published, the people have more power to speak the truth, because without knowing the truth about the government’s issues, then there is no way in representative democracy to fix them.
It is great that the people of Iraq are finally going to be able to see news that is not put on by Saddam Hussein’s family. It is scary that Hussein controlled everything and that the people he ruled could not express their thoughts or opinions. Even the Azzaman, an Iraqi newspaper, was pushed out of Iraq. The Azzaman could only be published in London, a place where the news was not as relevant. Their freedom of press is great because now the Iraqi people will be closer to their government and will be able to have more of a voice. Also, the people of Iraq will be able to hear about international news. With Saddam gone I hope that the Iraqi people can form their own opinion about the United States and their own government. If the people of Iraq hear news about the United States and watch some American television maybe they will be a little bit more tolerant towards the United States. Journalists in Iraq are currently working in the most dangerous country for their profession. In time, Iraq will calm down and the chaos will come to a halt. Until then, journalists will just have to continue reporting their “story” and be extra careful of where they venture off.
This is amazing now how the general public has a source for news. I can only imagine how uninformed they were back when the war looked like a stale mate. They must’ve not known anything about what the plans are or what their future may hold. Now that would be exiting. Now that there is a news output, people are getting informed, and this must give people just that much more confidence in their new government. From what I know, (someone please correct me if I’m wrong) before this entire revolution the people of Iraq did as they were told-nothing less and nothing more. They did not know almost anything of what their secretive government was doing, nor did they have any say as to what they did. Now, they are informed about their new bright and shining government and their plans. This must be such a comforting feeling-a feeling us US citizens are used to. In my opinion, it seems as if the terrorists recognise this new found trust, or at least hope in the new Iraqi government, and they want to do something about it. Strategically, killing the reporters who optimistically report the progress in Iraq would eliminate some of the trust.
The suppression of freedom and obliteration of natural rights characterize dictatorships, casting fearsome shadows of control over vulnerable populaces. In Iraq, this all too familiar model essentially destroyed the industry of publications for any except Saddam’s most loyal followers and family members. In the wake of harsh criticism of US interference, the news of appreciated media expansion in Iraq perhaps softens a fair amount of public scorn in America. One victory arguably doesn’t justify the billions of lives lost of citizens belonging to both nations, but examined in the larger scheme of history a case exists for exhortation. To ask whether the belief in immediate sacrifice for the bettering of a future world suits you better than the adherence to slow, often nonexistent, progress shall determine the position you would assume in such a debate. Drawbacks supplement accomplishments and so the American people take up an ethical discernment of what merit to award the free expression in Iraq at the expense of instability and death. Did not the former government tremble precariously on a ledge of a different sense, but of a similar foreboding air? Ignoring the process by which this change evolved, the story of Iraqi journalism inspires hope and determination, advancing the desire to afford the country a sense of security we may not possess or have the means to procure.
Reply to Jordon
Jordon hit the nail on the head! The movement toward freedom of speech in Iraq is a step in the positive direction! Having such a freedom is a stride towards a democracy in Iraq. And that is what the war in Iraq is mainly about, besides terrorism and all! The people of Iraq will finally be able to utilize the media however they choose to without getting hounded by Saddam and his family. Journalistic progress concerning freedom and other areas, could lead to many other positive things for Iraq. For example, like Jordon said, “Media is one of the key tools we use here in America to educate our people, young and old, about our always changing world, especially politically.” What a great thing it would be if the population of Iraq was more politically educated? And once freedom of speech got out, who knows what other freedoms the Iraqis would be granted or become accustomed to? I am not a big supporter of the war in Iraq, but if it can accomplish things such as freedom of speech and press for the people of Iraq, then by all means, let the war run its course. The apathy, much like the one here in America for politics, may decrease in Iraq if they are freely able to express themselves in that area.
Wow, it’s amazing to see how we, as Americans, take free media for granted. I must say that when I turn on the TV and watch the news, I do not think of what the reporters had to do to get the information, or do I ever have to worry about it being taken away. Those in Iraq do not have this luxury. It’s crazy to see what the Iraqi’s have to go through just to get some sort of political media to the public. I must say that the reporters are extremely brave. Knowing that in the past years many reporters have died for simply wanting to do their job, it’s a great honor to hear of the reporters who are still out there looking for the stories and news to pass on to the people. Although much of the reporting is done in secret, these reporters are taking great risks, risks that I’m sure those receiving the information are grateful for. Like the article stated, “once people taste freedom, they rarely hunger for anything less.” The people of Iraq now know what it is like to have the freedom of media and aren’t going to let anything take them back to the past. All they want is information about what is going on in their country and media is the quickest and probably most affective way to do so.
Like everyone else, I am very excited to hear about solid progress in Iraq. Freedom of speech and the press are two very large steps away from dictatorship and towards something resembling a democracy. However, we still have the problem of sectarian violence. This isn’t going to go away soon and the article did show that it is still dictating some of what the Iraq media does (IE: reporting from offices rather than the field). It is encouraging that some journalists were still willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of information but it’s a tragedy that many lost their lives because of that. I don’t think sectarian violence will go away or shrink in too significant an ammount until Iraq is (notice I say is and not has) a stronger military presence. I don’t believe the new Iraqi free press will sway the minds of radicals who have spent the greater part of their lives commited to their violent ideals; but perhaps a show of defiance by the press telling the terrorists that their attacks are not helping them achieve the goal they want will make the idea of joining these groups less appealing to the younger generation and decrease recruitment. Over time, this could solve a large part of the problem but it will take awhile before this shows (or doesn’t show).
There is one positive from invading Iraq and throwing the Saddam dictatorship out the window. That one positive is freedom of press that now exists in Iraq. After reading the article, I was surprised about a couple of things. First, the Iraq newspaper had to be in London because of Saddam and his rules. Second, Saddam’s son, Odai, owned all of Iraq’s tv and radio stations as well as 11 of the newspapers. Think of what people can get off their chest by expressing their freedom of speech without getting killed for it. The more we are there in Iraq, the more freedom Iraqis will get. They just got their freedom of press back. I wouldn’t be surprised if they adopt some of our rights and freedoms we have in America. With all the turmoil there, this is one big step forward. People will actually read what they want, not what is said for them to read. The people will have an opinion on issues in that country. It also makes people well educated in what is going on in Iraq and around the world. Iraqis are interested in journalism, risking their very own lives just to cover a story. This may not help us leave Iraq quicker, but it helps Iraq become one step closer toward achieving a democratic society.
This is exciting news! Iraqis no longer have to live under a dictator. The Saddam era Iraq reminds me of the secret police of the Soviet Union. If you said anything, there would be consequences. Now, Iraqis have free speech. While it is not yet officially a law, it will be almost guaranteed to be when their Constitution goes into effect. Free speech is a great thing for Iraq. Iraqi citizens can finally get a better knowledge of what’s going on around their country. Not to mention, they’ll be getting an uncensored view of the on goings of their country. Ok yes, some journalists may write false things or write articles in a way to persuade citizens this way or that way about the direction Iraq is heading, however, other journalists will write their views, and the citizens will get different views and side with the one they believe in. The only downfall to having free speech in Iraq right now is anti-American journalists writing bad things about the United States’ presence in Iraq. If journalism, like it usually does, persuades Iraqis to think that we are evil and turning their nation in the wrong direction and killing innocent civilians (which happens already…but if reporters made it seem too extreme) it may lead to more troop casualties. While that may not be a good thing, sometimes you just have to take a step back to take two steps forward. The bottom line is that having free speech in Iraq is taking a big step forward.
-Jason Wong