Journalists in Dialogue

Production Runtime: 1 Dec 06 - 1 Jun 07
Support: UNDP
Topic: key conflicts revolving around federalism

Starting on 1 March 2007, a network of 6 radio stations, comprising media outlets from all parts of the country and from different political backgrounds, cooperatively produced 10 radio shows on key conflicts revolving around the problem of federalism, such as the distribution of oil revenues in the country, the balancing of power between the center and the regions and the implementation of Article 140 of the constitution. The participating radio stations exchanged reports, material and phone calls during the show, which was broadcasted every Monday at 12.00 pm by all participating radio stations simultaneously.

The project “Journalist in Dialogue” was initiated by MICT with the goal to to enhance tolerance and mutual understanding among the ethno-religious communities in the country and to increase dialogue between conflict partners on the community level via local Iraqi media.

In the run-up to the production a workshop with the editors of the participating radio stations was held in which the participants attended lectures on the federalism debate in Iraq and conflict sensitive journalism and developed guidelines and a structure for the production of Niqash Federali.




Radio Reports Network - RRN

Production Runtime: 1 Jun 05 - 1 Jan 07
Support: German Foreign Office, Government of Belgium, UNESCO
Topics: Elections, constitution, legislation, federalism

RRN was a radio agency for production and dissemination of Iraqi radio reports. Linking a network of more then 30 journalists located all over Iraq with a network of Iraqi radio stations, RRN produced and disseminated radio reports (features, interviews, and voxpops) in all provinces of Iraq on a daily basis. The center piece of up- and download/dissemination was a secured Internet platform managed and maintained by MICT. The reports were quality checked and edited by the MICT editorial team in Amman before release for dissemination. All participating journalists have undergone training measures before joining the network.

Main topics of the RNN production were: Elections, constitution, legislation and federalism.

Goal of RNN was the provision of objective, nonpartisan background information of high journalistic quality on the political process in Iraq. Next to political education, with this project MICT assisted capacity building of young journalists and supported through the close cooperation with ca. 20 radio stations the development of independent media structures in Iraq.




Election Monitor Iraq

Production Runtime: 21 Dec 05 - 31 Feb 06
Support: German Foreign Office
Topic: Elections 2005

Election Monitor Iraq was a radio program that journalistically montored the preparation, implementation and analysis of the Iraqi elections in January 2006. Over three months, in daily 30-minute shows EMI discussed election topics with candidates, presented parties and their programs, asked election observers on the state of the process, explained the technical aspects of the voting etc.

The program was aired by 4 different radio stations in 11 Iraqi provinces. The content was delivered by 20 correspondents in Iraq while the program itself was put together at the MICT studio in Berlin on the basis of the correspondent contributions. The various parts of the radio program were collated on a website for further use and complemented by additional information.

During a 7-day workshop and training in Amman the Iraqi correspondents were trained for the project. Object of the training were the basics of radio journalism and election reporting.

Part of the project was the creation of an election booklet in which all candidates and parties were explained. The guide to Iraqi Parties was distributed as complement with the Newspaper Sabah Al-Jadeed.




Sawtuha

Production Runtime: 1 Jun 05 - 1 Jun 06
Support: UNIFEM
Topic: Women issues

Sawtuha (her voice) was a radio production on women's topics whose content was created by a cooperative process between journalists, radio stations, and female activists. Together with female journalists and Iraqi NGOs MICT developed shows and features on the situation of women in Iraq. In this way the female activists gained access to media, and expanded their networks and professional competence in dealing with women's topics.

The listeners were informed about a field of issues that is gaining social importance, particularly through the implementation of shari'a as the basis for the Personal Status Law and the ever-increasing limitations on personal freedoms in Iraq. The programs were broadcast by up to 15 radio stations throughout Iraq.

The communication between MICT, radio stations, female journalists, and NGOs was coordinated through a virtual editorial platform via which ideas and information were exchanged, concepts presented, criticism aired, and technical questions dealt with. By now, the Sawtuha editorial platform has developed into an interactive source of information on women's issues.

Check www.niqash.org/sawtuha




Iraq 360 Degrees

Production Runtime: 1 Sep 05 - 31 Dec 05
Support: German Foreign Office, Friedrich Ebert Foundation
Partner: Friedrich Ebert Foundation
Topic: Contemporary art and culture in the Middle East

Leaving from Baghdad International Airport on 1 September 2005, the two Iraqi writers Faris Harram and Abdulmohsin Saleh set out on a journey which, over the three months to follow, would take them to Damascus, Istanbul and Ankara, Cairo, and Beirut. At each stage of their journey, they met up with artists and intellectuals, writers and publishers, attended concerts and exhibitions with the goal to report about their partners, the events and their experiences in a radio show called "Iraq 360 Degrees". For 3 months, on a weekly basis 1 Lebanese and 3 Iraqi radio stations aired the show in which - along with Harram and Saleh - local correspondents from all of these cities reported on the state of contemporary art within their own countries.




Telephone FM

Production Runtime: 10 July 04 - 30 Dec 04
Support: German Foreign Office
Partner: Friedrich Ebert Foundation
Topic: Political and social transition in Iraq

TELEPHONE FM was a temporary radio program that was produced in Berlin together with Iraqi journalists and transmitted via a partner radio station in Baghdad on FM.

In the center of each TELEPHONE FM show was the conversation between Iraqi radio journalists in Germany and young people in Iraq who, as academics, entrepreneurs or cultural workers, reflect and evaluate the current changes in their country. German studio guests participated in the conversations by asking questions, giving answers or providing comments. Content focused on everyday life, private perspective and professional activity of the interview partners in Iraq and through these personal questions conveys an evaluation of the political situation.

To implement this project, Iraqi radio journalists were invited to Berlin, where together with German editors they developed and produced the program. The show was broadcast over 3 months, 5 days a week, 1.5 hours daily via the FM partner radio station in Baghdad.

Read an evaluation of the project (Arabic)


Read an evaluation of the project (English)