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Viewing cable 08HILLAH26, SOLID REPRESENTATION AT PRT KARBALA FIRST MEDIA CONFERENCE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08HILLAH26 2008-03-26 19:05 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY REO Hillah
VZCZCXRO5354
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHIHL #0026/01 0861905
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261905Z MAR 08
FM REO HILLAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1045
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0904
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHIHL/REO HILLAH 1108
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HILLAH 000026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KPAO IZ
SUBJECT: SOLID REPRESENTATION AT PRT KARBALA FIRST MEDIA CONFERENCE 
 
HILLAH 00000026  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
This is a PRT Reporting Cable 
 
1. (SBU)  SUMMARY:  PRT Karbala hosted March 19 a media 
conference that was attended by 25 representatives from private 
and public television, radio, and newspaper outlets.  The 
objectives of the conference included introducing Team Leader 
and PRToffs to the local media; expressing PRT support for the 
media's role in the democratic process; providing the PRT with 
an overview of Karbala's media; and discussing potential 
interaction between the PRT and the group.  The conference 
concluded with an open discussion of ways the PRT and the media 
could best interact and provide mutual support, and an agenda of 
"next-steps". END SUMMARY 
 
2. (SBU) On March 19, PRT Karbala hosted its first media 
conference.  It included journalists, photographers, editors, 
and media technicians from both private and public 
organizations.  25 media representatives, including three women, 
traveled an hour to arrive at the Regional Embassy Office Hillah 
for the conference.  Team Leader opened the conference with 
welcome remarks followed by an introduction of PRToffs. 
Participants were asked in an open discussion format to provide 
information about the nature of the Karbala local media, 
touching on issues of media safety and pay, training programs, 
censorship, access to officials, and media effectiveness. 
During lunch break, each participant completed a survey 
requesting contact and background information, ensuring the 
objective of enlarging the PRT's media contacts database. 
 
KARBALA MEDIA OVERVIEW 
------------------------------ 
3. (U) Out of the 25 media representatives present, 10 were 
employed as free-lancers and seven as government employees. 
They indicated that total Karbala media is approximately 300 
individuals which include reporters, technicians, editors, and 
engineers and other technical staff.  Of the 300 staff, 50 are 
reporters with 30 working for newspapers, 10 for television 
networks, and 10 for radio stations. 
 
LACK OF SAFETY AND YET LOW INCOME 
------------------------------- 
4. (SBU) Attendees lamented that they suffered from safety 
concerns as well as poor pay.  All 25 participants claimed to 
have been previously threatened for performing their line of 
work.  They noted that although they were issued weapon permits 
for their protection, they were unable to actually obtain 
weapons.  PRT TL made a particular point of addressing the 
conference.  He pledged that notwithstanding limited resources, 
the PRT would do what it could to enable the media to do its 
job.  Furthermore, he encouraged the media to report to the PRT 
any threats to the media so that the PRT and the Embassy could 
try to address them. 
 
5. (SBU) Conference attendees reported that they work multiple 
jobs to ease the financial hardship.  Employees of private 
outlets often work for multiple outlets; one reporter said that 
he has three separate jobs.  Since government reporters cannot 
hold non-governmental media positions, they hold part-time jobs 
as taxi drivers and the like.  The average reporter working for 
a private organization earns only USD200 per month while 
governmental reporters earn slightly higher rates of around 
USD300 per month. 
 
"WE URGENTLY NEED TRAINING" 
----------------------------- 
6. (SBU) The need for specialized training, especially in 
technical skills, was a recurring theme at the conference.  Most 
attendees have attended some short-term training offered by 
volunteer organizations.  Training is currently available only 
at two non-profit organizations - Karbala Center for Media 
Improvement and the Technical Center for Media Training.  The 
private Ahl Ul-Bayt University also offers some media courses, 
but conference participants gave its courses poor marks, 
agreeing that they are antiquated and lack a technical 
component.  Overall, the discussions were critical of most of 
the programs for a lack of technical training, a lack of modern 
equipment to support technical training, and for being too short 
in duration.  None of the courses teach software editing, for 
example, one of the greatest needs identified by conferees. 
They added that training in the United States would greatly 
benefit them. 
 
MEDIA RESTRICTED; DE FACTO CENSORSHIP 
----------------------------- 
7. (SBU) Participants animatedly responded to the subject of 
censorship and claimed "oppression" from security forces, 
political parties, and elected officials.  Non-governmental 
representatives stated they were excluded from government 
meetings.  Self-proclaimed government watchdogs indicated that 
they need to rely on third party sources for information as they 
 
HILLAH 00000026  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
have no access to council or committee meetings and are not 
granted interviews.  They cited a newspaper that was shut down 
after it highlighted government corruption and waste in 
executing provincial capital projects.  All media, government 
and private alike, stated that they are blocked by the 
government from covering any acts of violence in Karbala. 
 
"WE ARE BIASED" 
---------------------------- 
8. (SBU):  When asked about media bias, attendees were frank and 
unapologetic in their admissions of their bias.  They felt that 
they are effective despite and especially because of their 
biases.  They reasoned that as long as each of the various 
factions (political, religious, etc.) has access to a media 
voice, the truth would likely be reported by at least one member 
of the media. 
 
PRT AND MEDIA COOPERATION? 
----------------------------- 
9. (SBU) During an open discussion to identify potential areas 
of cooperation between the media and the PRT, conferees asserted 
that assistance in establishing a media center is their highest 
priority.  Although some favored a center for operations 
initially, this suggestion was voted down in favor of a training 
center.  They mentioned converting some space at the "cultural 
house", a building operating under the auspices of the Ministry 
of Culture, to a media center.  They indicated that media 
representatives have previously made this suggestion to the 
Governor and urged the PRT to reinforce this idea with the 
Governor.  PRToff concluded the topic by suggesting using the 
PRT as the focal point to collect all written ideas the 
attendees may have in mind for a Karbala Media Center that will 
be discussed in a follow-up meeting the PRT will organize. 
 
10. (SBU) In addition, attendees advocated setting up a 
provincial project database, to be posted on a public web page. 
They expressed frustration that the provincial government 
capital budget process is almost totally opaque.  "The secrecy 
of the provincial government process effectively precluded 
meaningful media coverage of budget and project planning."  They 
asserted that publishing information publicly would provide 
accountability to the populace.  No suggestions were made, 
however, as to how the provincial government would be convinced 
to cooperate. 
 
11. (SBU) COMMENT: The conference reopened PRT Karbala's 
initiative to reach out to media representatives in the 
province.  Both the PC Chairman and Sheikh Ali Kamona, former 
Karbala governor, were supportive of the event, and provided the 
PRT a solid list of introductory contacts.  The PRT will 
undertake steps to help develop a plan for a functional and 
cost-effective media center, and to help find media training for 
the sector representatives. END COMMENT 
COOKE