Iraq: The development of an independent press will not be easy

Posted by Bertrand Pecquerie on May 6, 2004 at 1:00 PM

Thanks to Larry Kilman, director of communications at WAN, for writing this article about the obstacles that will be encountered when working to develop an an independent press in Iraq. Apart from the huge costs that will be involved Basim al-Sheikh, editor of Addustour, an independent daily asks “Is it our task to develop American media in Iraq or to develop Iraqi media that serves the Americans?” “The problem is to find the right people to link up and train,” said Siayamend Othman, an Iraqi Kurd, former researcher at Amnesty International and former senior vice president at United Press International.

?There are many good writers in Iraq but few good journalists, so there is a need for training. Moreover there is a huge need for training in media management.?

Source: Newspapers & Technology.

Other reports:
Iraqi media assessment report from the Institute of War and Peace Reporting; report from International Media Support; the Iraqi media since Saddam, from Arab Gateway; UN/World Bank Assessment Report.