Iraqi Media: The Beginnings

Abstract

In this section, a brief overview of the Iraqi media is presented in order to give the reader an idea of the major landmarks in the history of the different media channels in Iraq. The discussion below is mostly focused on the Iraqi press that was the dominant medium in the 19th and early 20th centuries. I classify the Iraqi press into six distinct stages according to the nature of the media and the relevant political environment:

• (1) the beginnings until the reactivation of the Ottoman Constitution (1863–1908);

• (2) the relative freedom after the revival of the constitution until the establishment of the Iraqi state (1908–1921);

• (3) the beginning of the partisan press until Rashid Ali Al-Kaylani’s failed revolt (1921–1941);

• (4) the totalitarian press with varying degrees of media freedom (1941–2003);

• (5) the sectarian and plural press (2003–2007);

• (6) the totalitarian press (2008–ongoing).