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Viewing cable 06BASRAH167, MEDIA IN BASRAH

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06BASRAH167 2006-10-26 06:20 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY REO Basrah
VZCZCXRO0350
RR RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHBC #0167/01 2990620
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260620Z OCT 06
FM REO BASRAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0477
INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHBC/REO BASRAH 0497
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