MEDIA IN BASRAH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000167 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI KDEM IZ SUBJECT: MEDIA IN BASRAH BASRAH 00000167 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Journalists and people involved with media in Basrah are under constant threat from extremists and politicians. There is pressure from religious and political organizations to not report on issues they deem taboo. Journalists continue to be murdered, but many are willing to risk their lives to pursue the ideal of freedom of the press. Very few of the media people have any formal training and learn the profession on the job. Most Basrawis receive their news via word of mouth with satellite television the second favorite source of information. There are only a few local television and radio stations, and the numerous local newspapers are published sporadically due to lack of funding. The most popular television stations in Basrah are al-Iraqia, al-Arabia and al-Sharqia. The most widely read newspapers are al-Sabah, al-Zaman, al-Manarah and al-Basrah. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Three years after the fall of the previous regime, Basrah media is still undeveloped. Poloff met with numerous Iraqi media contacts to discuss the current state of affairs and the means by which most citizens obtain news. All contacts reported that politicians and religious extremists (sometimes one and the same) apply pressure to journalists and media representatives to refrain from reporting on issues considered taboo. Although Salah al-Battat, head of the Basrah Provincial Council's Media Committee, claimed that the media has 100 percent freedom, he added that the security situation has an effect on reporting and that reporters could be killed if they spoke to "the wrong people." Accounts varied on the intensity of the pressure, but all contacts echoed the belief that religious and political groups, backed by militias, seek to influence journalists. The threat against them is high, and several have been killed in the past year. Many contacts said that several journalists fled Basrah or Iraq because of threats against their lives. Jawad Kathim, head of al-Basrah radio station, told poloff that freedom of the press was developing very slowly in Basrah, and most contacts reiterated the need to educate the public on how the media should function. ¶3. (SBU) According to contacts, the quality of media in Basrah is not up to general standards, though it is slowly getting better. Most people working in the media in Basrah have no formal training and are learning as they work. Dr. Juliana Dawood, professor at Basrah University and former Editor-in-Chief of al-Akhbar newspaper, said that Basrah University does not have any programs or courses related to media or journalism. Some contacts said that a few non-governmental organizations offered workshops on media issues while others reported that they had never heard of any opportunities for training. Jawad Kathim, manager of al-Basrah radio station, told poloff that the media does not have any direct influence on the population unlike in other parts of the world. The general consensus is that most Basrawis receive "news" by word of mouth, and satellite television serves as a secondary source of information. TELEVISION ¶4. (SBU) Due to the prevalence of satellite dishes, the most popular television stations in Basrah are al-Iraqia, al-Arabia and al-Sharqia, according to the contacts poloff spoke with and corroborated by a recent poll by a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitoring unit based in Basrah. There are two local television stations: al-Basrah, which is part of the Iraqi National Media network, and al-Naquil, which is run by the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). Dr. Dawood stated that most people in Basrah know that al-Jazeera is a "terrible station," but tune in occasionally to see what is being said. RADIO ¶5. (U) There are four local radio stations in Basrah. Al-Basrah radio, like the television station, is part of the Iraqi National Media network, Shaat al-Arab radio is an entertainment station, Radio Shinasheel, which is independent, and a radio station run by SCIRI. Jawad Kathim, head of al-Basrah, presents two talk show programs weekly on his station. He said that he always encourages his guests to speak freely. Mr. Kathim acknowledged that it is dangerous to be so open, but said he strongly believes in freedom of speech and of the press and stated that he is protected from any repercussions because he belongs to a strong tribe. NEWSPAPERS ¶6. (U) Basrah has over a dozen local newspapers, but very few of them are printed on a regular basis. According to contacts and confirmed by the BBC poll, the most popular newspapers in Basrah are al-Manarah, al-Basrah (newspaper of the provincial council),al-Zaman and al-Sabah. Most of the local papers are BASRAH 00000167 002.2 OF 002 printed outside of Basrah due to high printing costs in the province. Lack of funding is the reason that most papers are printed so infrequently and sporadically. The papers printed regularly appear on a weekly basis. In Basrah, newspapers are distributed to a few shops where they can be purchased or by subscription. The average cost of a newspaper is 250 ID. COMMENT ¶7. Comment: Many reporters and journalists in Basrah are eager and enthusiastic about their profession even if they lack formal training. Journalists who aspire to report the news without censoring their products potentially put their lives in danger. The basic structure for a nascent free press are sadly absent - newspapers publish "news" once a week and it is outdated when it appears, powerful persons influence what is printed or broadcast and there is no support by the local government for an uncensored and free media. Support is needed to develop a free media but Basrah has so many other problems that education and training on the importance of a free media is far down on donors' lists. However, civil society in Basrah will not develop without a free and unfettered media. End Comment. GROSS