INTERNATIONAL POLICY FELLOWSHIP INITIAL WORK AND ADVOCACY PLAN 2006-2007
The Media and Ethno-Sectarian Dynamics in Iraq
Ibrahim Al-Marashi

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this project is to analyze the media and ethno-sectarian discourse in Iraq since the 2003 War. It will examine how various Kurdish, Sunni Arab and Shia Arab political factions have developed their own media networks and how they portray and report on ethno-sectarian differences. The findings and recommendations from this study will be released in a 20-page policy study in coordination with the group advisor. The recommendations will be directed to media practitioners and policy makers in Iraq, such as the National Commission on Media and Communication and the High Commission for Media, as well as educational institutions such as the Faculty for Communication and Journalism. It will also include other international organizations that have sought to provide financial and training assistance to developing the media in Iraq.

OSI network partners that can assist with this project and benefit from the findings are the CEU Department of Political Science and the CEU Center for Media and Communication Studies (CMCS). The Center promotes media and communication studies that assist NGOs, policy-makers and regulators, as this study also seeks to do.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

The intended outputs of this project are:
- A 20-page policy study
- An article in a peer-reviewed journal of communication and media studies
- A chapter in a book on the Iraqi media
- Power point presentation on the state of Iraqi media and policy recommendations to be delivered at talks and conferences.