DOCSLIB.ORG

Mobile Journalism Using Smartphone in Journalistic Work Salah Mohammedsalih

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mobile Journalism Using Smartphone in Journalistic Work Salah Mohammedsalih Mobile Journalism Using smartphone in journalistic work Salah Mohammedsalih Subject: Human-Computer Interaction Corresponds to: 30 hp Presented: HT 2017 Supervisor: Annika Waern Examiner: Franck Tétard Department of Informatics and Media [Type here] 1 Acknowledgements I would like to express my great appreciation to my supervisor Annika Waern for guiding and encouraging me to make this thesis, and for providing a useful critique of this work. A special thanks to examiner Franck Tétard who gave me valuable comments and feedback on the final draft. Many thanks to all my teachers who gave me different courses along the HCI program. I would also like to thank all journalists and filmmakers who participated in interviews and focus group. Many thanks to all my friends and colleagues who gave me a great support by having useful discussions. Finally, A special thanks to my beloved family for the continuing support during all levels of this study. [Type here] 2 Abstract Mobile phones have had a drastic influence on media production, by providing a ubiquitous connection. This revolution has come about when smartphone turned into a powerful tool to do almost all the production-related work that was done previously by specialized equipment and computers. This has encouraged ordinary individuals to involve in media work and emerging the phenomenon of mobile journalism, where citizens and individuals can engage in journalism work carry out a job that was supposed to be done only by journalists for a long time ago. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of prosumers and amateurs who are making and covering news by their smartphones and contributing to journalism work. This has become particularly apparent in relation to reporting from remote and risky areas, where journalists cannot reach easily or may not arrive on time while important events occur. This was obvious during the Arab-spring - The role of smartphones in feeding both social media and traditional media with instant photos and videos taken by protesters themselves. This thesis focuses on the role of the smartphone in facilitating the work of journalists. As a part of the literature review, the author has gone through many texts, watched videos and listened to radio shows with journalists and workers in media spheres, in which journalists talk about their own experience with practicing mobile journalism. Then from a phenomenological perspective and framework the experience of technology and user aspects of mobile journalism are investigated. As the aim of this thesis is not to validate a hypothesis or a theory, a qualitative research method is used to come to an evaluation and explanation of the phenomenon of using mobile in journalism. For that purpose, several qualitative methods have been used to collect data such as auto-ethnography, observation, interviews and focus groups. The data are collected mainly from Kurdistan region in northern Iraq where journalists were covering news of war in dangerous and risky battle fields. The findings from the results showed that the main factors that make smartphones powerful tools for journalists are: the low budget required for acquiring a smartphone compared to expensive equipment used in traditional media, the freedom and independence that a mobile can give to a journalist, the design aspects which provide a pocket-size tool with unsuspiciousness feature that make it possible to be carried and used even in areas where journalistic work is not allowed. The ubiquity feature of mobile has helped to cover news in areas where traditional media cannot be existing or cannot reach easily. The ability of individuals to obtain a smartphone in one hand and the universal design of mobile in another hand have helped to be used in journalism work by many people with no necessary training courses. This situation has created a good opportunity for media institutions and TV stations to expand their correspondents’ network all over the countries. [Type here] 3 This page is intentionally left blank [Type here] 4 Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 7 2. Literature review ............................................................................................................ 9 2.1 The professional experience ......................................................................................... 14 3. Methodology ................................................................................................................ 15 3.1 The philosophical background of the methodology ..................................................... 15 3.2 Data acquisition and analysis ........................................................................................ 16 3.3 What qualitative methods and tools are used to collect data and why? ..................... 16 3.3.1 Auto-ethnography ........................................................................................................... 16 3.3.2 Observation ..................................................................................................................... 18 3.3.3 Focus groups ................................................................................................................... 19 3.3.4 Interviews ........................................................................................................................ 22 3.4 What method is used for coding and analysing data? ................................................... 37 4. Results ........................................................................................................................ 38 5. Analysis and discussion ................................................................................................ 43 5.1 User aspects ................................................................................................................... 43 5.1.1 Journalist (amateur and professional) ............................................................................ 43 5.1.2 User experience ............................................................................................................... 45 5.2 Technology aspect .......................................................................................................... 46 5.2.1 Smartphone, a multifunctional device ............................................................................ 46 5.2.2 The Quality ...................................................................................................................... 47 5.2.3 Design, pros and cons ..................................................................................................... 48 5.3 Risk aspect ...................................................................................................................... 49 5.3.1 Life risks .......................................................................................................................... 49 5.3.2 Data risks ........................................................................................................................ 49 5.4 Trust aspect ................................................................................................................... 50 5.5 Freedom aspect .............................................................................................................. 51 5.6 Privacy violation and ethical issues ................................................................................ 52 [Type here] 5 5.7 Financial aspect .............................................................................................................. 52 5.8 Novelty aspect ................................................................................................................ 53 5.8.1 Novelty and social media ................................................................................................ 53 5.8.2 Future predictions ........................................................................................................... 54 6. Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 54 7. References ................................................................................................................... 56 8. Appendices .................................................................................................................. 60 [Type here] 6 Introduction Internet in general and social Media in particular has had a great effect on news organizations and the way they operate their work. Social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have elevated the level of digital media and put the news and media organizations in front of a real challenge in how to make their news suitable for the digital age (Harper, 2010). Smartphones form the backbone of social media, according to multiple surveys. The number of smartphone owners is quite larger than the number of those who own another type of phone or digital device (Poushter, 2017), for the U.S. a recent study showed that among those people who get their daily news from Internet (digital portals and social media), more of them prefer smartphones to desktops or laptops. (Pew, 2016). The new audience is not sitting in front of TV screens nor buying a paper version of a newspaper. They spend most of their time on social networks where they interact directly with newsmakers and have a great influence on the way in which news
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Istanbul Technical University Graduate School of Arts
    ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES TRANSFORMATIONS OF KURDISH MUSIC IN SYRIA: SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FACTORS M.A. THESIS Hussain HAJJ Department of Musicology and Music Theory Musicology M.A. Programme JUNE 2018 ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES TRANSFORMATIONS OF KURDISH MUSIC IN SYRIA: SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FACTORS M.A. THESIS Hussain HAJJ (404141007) Department of Musicology and Music Theory Musicology Programme Thesis Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. F. Belma KURTİŞOĞLU JUNE 2018 İSTANBUL TEKNİK ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ SURİYE’DE KÜRT MÜZİĞİNİN DÖNÜŞÜMÜ: SOSYAL VE POLİTİK ETKENLER YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ Hussain HAJJ (404141007) Müzikoloji ve Müzik Teorisi Anabilim Dalı Müzikoloji Yüksek Lisans Programı Tez Danışmanı: Doç. Dr. F. Belma KURTİŞOĞLU HAZİRAN 2018 Date of Submission : 7 May 2018 Date of Defense : 4 June 2018 v vi To the memory of my father, to my dear mother and Neslihan Güngör; thanks for always being there for me. vii viii FOREWORD When I started studying Musicology, a musician friend from Syrian Kurds told me that I am leaving my seat as an active musician and starting a life of academic researches, and that he will make music and I will research the music he makes. It was really an interesting statement to me; it made me think of two things, the first one is the intention behind this statement, while the second was the attitude of Kurds, especially Kurd musicians, towards researchers and researching. As for the first thing, I felt that there was a problem, maybe a social or psychological, of the Kurdish people in general, and the musicians in particular.
    [Show full text]
  • Mobile Journalism Is a Groundbreaking Transmissions
    Table of contents introduction Journalism has undergone a major A case in point is breaking news. When transformation and benefited as a a natural disaster or a major accident result of multiple technological happens it traditionally required innovations over the last ten years. substantial resources, including the This advancement demands that deployment of heavy and expensive traditional journalism adapts to equipment to report live. This is true of constant change so media can meet transporting a crew to Pakistan´s audience expectations, specifically in northern mountainous areas to report terms of credibility and timing. on an earthquake, but is also true of reporting the refugee crisis in Europe. Among these technological develop- Another example is covering war, ments, the emergence of smart- where journalists are often targeted phones, along with digital technology for reporting on demonstrations or and Wi-Fi, has deeply changed—and restricted from accessing conflict continues to change—journalism. Not zones. only has the smartphone become a crucial device for news consumption, With smartphones in their back but it also provides a pocket-sized pockets, journalists no longer have to media hub for journalists. worry about setting up cables, connec- tions, large cameras or satellite Mobile journalism is a groundbreaking transmissions. They can go almost way of doing journalism. Armed with unnoticed. only a smartphone, journalists are empowered to cover almost any story Mobile journalism has additional in a timely and safer manner. One of advantages, aside from increased the most notable advantages of mobility and access. The development mobile journalism is that it enables the of highly sophisticated cameras, apps journalist to overcome frequent and add-on equipment allows journal- challenges and barriers, often ists to explore their creativity and use strengthening freedom of speech and their smartphones not only in crisis or access to information.
    [Show full text]
  • Journalism in the Era of Mobile Technology: the Changing Pattern of News Production and the Thriving Culture of Fake News in Pakistan and Ghana
    Sadia Jamil, Gifty Appiah-Adjei Journalism in the era of mobile technology: the changing pattern of news production and the thriving culture of fake news in Pakistan and Ghana Sadia Jamil1 University of Queensland, Australia Gifty Appiah-Adjei University of Education, Winneba, Ghana DOI: 10.30547/worldofmedia.3.2019.2 Abstract The advent of new technologies has resulted in the rise of mobile journalism around the globe. Mobile devices have reformed the newsroom environments by introducing new means to connect with the audience and to communicate with other journalists within the same place. Many traditional media organizations already produce news content for mobile web-sites and apps in proportion to cross-media strategies, reflecting structural changes in the journalism industry and transformation in the process of news production in many countries and although coming from different cultural traditions and geographical locations, Pakistan and Ghana are no exceptions. However, there are concerns about the potential role of mobile journalism in fostering the culture of fake news in both countries. Thus, using the media convergence and social responsibility theories, this study aims to analyse how mobile journalism is altering the news production process and fostering the trend of fake news in Pakistan and Ghana. To accomplish this aim, this study uses the qualitative methods of document review and in-depth interviews and offers a thematic analysis of the qualitative data. Keywords Mobile journalism, fake news, media convergence, social responsibility, Pakistan’s and Ghana’s news media. 1 Corresponding author: Sadia Jamil, University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld 4072, Australia. Email: [email protected] 42 Journalism in the era of mobile technology: The changing pattern of news production and the thriving culture of fake news in Pakistan and Ghana Introduction Technology has always been at the forefront of newsgathering and the journalistic process.
    [Show full text]
  • I ANKARA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE of SOCIAL SCIENCES
    ANKARA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES FACULTY OF COMMUNICATIONS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF IMPROVING NEWS TRUSTWORTHINESS IN KENYA AND TURKEY IN THE WAKE OF FAKE NEWS IN DIGITAL ERA. MASTER’S THESIS ABDINOOR ADEN MAALIM SUPERVISOR DR. ÖĞR. ÜYESİ ERGİN ŞAFAK DİKMEN ANKARA- 2021 i TEZ ONAY SAYFASI TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYETİ ANKARA ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ (MEDYA VE İLETİŞİM ÇALIŞMALARI ANABİLİM DALI) Dijital Çağdaki Sahte Haberlerin Sonucunda Türkiye ve Kenya’da Artan Haber Güvenilirliğinin Karşılaştırmalı Analizi (YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ) Tez Danışmanı DR. ÖĞR. Üyesi ERGİN ŞAFAK DİKMEN TEZ JÜRİSİ ÜYELERİ Adı ve Soyadı İmzası 1- PROF.DR. ABDULREZAK ALTUN 2- DR. ÖĞR. Üyesi ERGİN ŞAFAK DİKMEN 3- Doç. Dr. FATMA BİLGE NARİN. Tez Savunması Tarihi 17-06-2021 ii T.C. ANKARA ÜNİVERSİTESİ Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Müdürlüğü’ne, DR. ÖĞR. Üyesi ERGİN ŞAFAK DİKMEN danışmanlığında hazırladığım “Dijital Çağdaki Sahte Haberlerin Sonucunda Türkiye ve Kenya’da Artan Haber Güvenilirliğinin Karşılaştırmalı Analizi (Ankara.2021) ” adlı yüksek lisans - doktora/bütünleşik doktora tezimdeki bütün bilgilerin akademik kurallara ve etik davranış ilkelerine uygun olarak toplanıp sunulduğunu, başka kaynaklardan aldığım bilgileri metinde ve kaynakçada eksiksiz olarak gösterdiğimi, çalışma sürecinde bilimsel araştırma ve etik kurallarına uygun olarak davrandığımı ve aksinin ortaya çıkması durumunda her türlü yasal sonucu kabul edeceğimi beyan ederim. Tarih: 3/8/2021 Adı-Soyadı ve İmza ABDINOOR ADEN MAALIM iii ANKARA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES FACULTY OF COMMUNICATIONS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF IMPROVING NEWS TRUSTWORTHINESS IN KENYA AND TURKEY IN THE WAKE OF FAKE NEWS IN DIGITAL ERA. MASTER’S THESIS ABDINOOR ADEN MAALIM SUPERVISOR DR. ÖĞR. ÜYESİ ERGİN ŞAFAK DİKMEN ANKARA- 2021 iv DECLARATION I hereby declare with honour that this Master’s thesis is my original work and has been written by myself in accordance with the academic rules and ethical requirements.
    [Show full text]
  • MA/Msc Digital Journalism Programme Specification
    MA/MSc Digital Journalism Programme Specification Awarding Institution: University of London (Interim Exit Awards made by Goldsmiths’ College) Teaching Institution: Goldsmiths, University of London Name of Final Award and Programme Title: MA/MSc Digital Journalism Name of Interim Exit Award(s): Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Journalism Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Journalism Duration of Programme: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time UCAS Code(s): Not applicable HECoS Code(s): (100442) Journalism 50% (100366) Computer Science 50% QAA Benchmark Group: Not appliCable FHEQ Level of Award: Level 7 Programme accredited by: Not applicable Date Programme Specification last updated/approved: December 2020 Home Department: Media, Communications and Cultural Studies Department(s) which will also be involved in teaching part of the programme: Computing Programme overview Journalism is changing rapidly to deal with fundamental changes in technology and in the way people access and disseminate information using the World Wide Web and portable electronic media. The MA/MSc in Digital Journalism has been specifically developed to create graduates who will not only be able to deal with current technologies as they affect Journalistic practice, but will also have the necessary deep understanding and skill to adapt to future technologically-informed changes in practice and, in some cases, to develop the technologies that will bring about these changes. Students will receive highly specialised training in digital technologies, enabling them to develop technical and editorial skills in all aspects of computer-supported news gathering and digital media production. The goal of the program is for its graduates to help produce, MA/MSc Digital Journalism - Programme Specification 1 Goldsmiths, University of London shape, refresh, and reinvent journalism in fast-changing mobile and global media.
    [Show full text]
  • JOUR 321 (21171) Smith Syllabus Final (Fall 2021)
    JOUR 321: Visual Journalism 2 Units Fall 2021 – Tuesdays – 4:30-6:10 p.m. Section: 21171D Location: ANN 301D Instructor: Olivia Smith Office Hours: Available upon request. Course Description Students will gain an understanding of journalistic visual storytelling through theory and practical application while exploring current and emerging story forms. Key components of the course include critically analyzing, interpreting, producing and understanding stories and story elements presented in journalistic visual formats. With a focus on visual media literacy, students will learn how to produce and share compelling visual stories in a variety of formats. Skills of the class include: Introduction to video for digital and social media platforms, principles of photography, design for web and mobile platforms, and the roles each play in interactive and engaging storytelling. An emphasis will be placed on visual stories for web, mobile and social media. Students will also explore the fundamentals of digital news design, including interactivity and presentation as it applies to journalistic story forms across platforms. In addition to providing you with skills necessary to produce journalistic multimedia stories, including videos and audio slideshows, we will also cover ethical, legal and social issues affecting visual journalists. Finally, we will explore an introduction to best practices for social media. We will take a practical, hands-on approach in this class. An introduction to photo, audio and video editing software will be provided. A modern mobile or tablet device with a camera such as the iPhone X or Android Device will be used as a primary content-gathering device in the class. You’ll learn how to use your device as a journalist, including using apps for shooting, editing and other visual purposes.
    [Show full text]
  • Beactive Mojo MOBILE JOURNALIST GUIDELINES
    European Week of Sport #BeActive Mojo MOBILE JOURNALIST GUIDELINES European Week of Sport Upon request, the European Commission can provide further information and materials related to the Week to support #BeActive mojos. CONTACT: EWOS EAC-SPORT [email protected] or [email protected]. MOJO GUIDELINES TABLE OF CONTENT 1 INTRODUCTION 02 2 ABOUT THE WEEK 04 3 WHY MOBILE JOURNALISM 05 4 #BEACTIVE MOJO PROFILE 06 5 WORKING TOGETHER 07 6 EDITORIAL GUIDELINES 08 Mojo messaging Best practices Content to produce Hardware Social media tips Tips on filming and editing Apps for filming and editing 7 ANNEX 13 01 MOJO GUIDELINES Mobile journalists are telling riveting stories with little more than a smartphone in hand. Let’s get mojos on the move for #BeActive. TIBOR NAVRACSICS EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR EDUCATION, CULTURE, YOUTH AND SPORT ABOUT THE WEEK The European Week of Sport aims to promote INTRODUCTION sport and physical activity across Europe, taking place annually from 23-30 September. The Week is for everyone, regardless of age, background or fitness level. With a focus on grassroots Since we began in 2015, the European Week of initiatives, it inspires Europeans to #BeActive Sport has engaged more than 10 million Europeans on a regular basis and creates opportunities in in over 15,000 #BeActive events in 31 countries. peoples’ everyday lives to exercise more. This year, we are expanding our reach and impact with a ‘mobile first’ strategy that integrates mobile The Week has five focus themes - sport in journalists – known as ‘mojos’ – into our campaign. education, workplaces, outdoors, sport clubs and fitness centres.
    [Show full text]
  • The Use of Smartphones for Investigative Journalism: a Case
    University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh THE USE OF SMARTPHONES FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM: A CASE STUDY OF ACILA-TIGER EYE PROJECT OF USING SMARTPHONES TO FIGHT CORRUPTION BY STEPHEN NARTEY 10637346 THIS DISSERTATION IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MA COMMUNICATION STUDIES DEGREE. MARCH 2019 1 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION I, Stephen Nartey, hereby declare that this submission is a product of my efforts and has not been presented to other universities. All references used in this study have been duly acknowledged under the supervision of Professor Audrey S. Gadzekpo. …………………………………….. ………………………………………. Stephen Nartey Professor Audrey S. Gadzekpo (Student) (Supervisor) Date:……………………………… Date:……………………………… 2 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my late mother, Agnes Abayateye, Head of News at Joy News, Elvis Kwashie as well as my course mate Eugene Brown Agyei. 3 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I thank God for making this work possible. To those who assisted in diverse ways, including scheduling interviews with respondents I am thankful for your support. To my supervisor, Professor Audrey Sitsofe Gadzekpo, I am very grateful for your support, guidance and patience. A very special thank you to Dr. Gilbert Tietaah for his suggestions and time dedicated to this work. I want to express a special appreciation to all lecturers at the Department of Communication Studies for their time and sharing their knowledge with us. Last but not the least, it was a great time with all my classmates DCSMastersclass2018 especially Eugene Adjei- Brown and Kwaku Nti for being there when it mattered the most.
    [Show full text]
  • RTL Nederland and Spotxchange Have Announced a Joint Venture for the Benelux & Nordic Region
    week 13 / 26 March 2015 MISSION: DIGITAL RTL Nederland and SpotXchange have announced a joint venture for the Benelux & Nordic region France The Netherlands Germany Renewal of Groupe M6’s RTL Ventures invests Clipfish launches Supervisory Board in Reclamefolder.nl on Amazon Fire TV week 13 / 26 March 2015 MISSION: DIGITAL RTL Nederland and SpotXchange have announced a joint venture for the Benelux & Nordic region France The Netherlands Germany Renewal of Groupe M6’s RTL Ventures invests Clipfish launches Supervisory Board in Reclamefolder.nl on Amazon Fire TV Cover From left to right: Elwin Gastelaars, Managing Director SpotXchange Benelux, Arno Otto, Managing Director Digital RTL Nederland, Ton Rozestraten, Chief Commercial Officer RTL Nederland, Mike Shehan, CEO SpotXchange Bert Habets, CEO RTL Nederland, Erik Swain, Senior Vice President Operations SpotXchange Publisher RTL Group 45, Bd Pierre Frieden L-1543 Luxembourg Editor, Design, Production RTL Group Corporate Communications & Marketing k before y hin ou T p r in t backstage.rtlgroup.com backstage.rtlgroup.fr backstage.rtlgroup.de QUICK VIEW Renewal of Groupe M6’s Supervisory Board Groupe M6 / RTL Group p.9–10 CSI meets Mad Men RTL Nederland / SpotXchange RTL Ventures invests p.4–8 in Reclamefolder.nl RTL Nederland p.11–12 Clipfish launches on Amazon Fire TV RTL Interactive p.13 Enex on solid growth path Enex Big Picture p.14 p.16 20 years of SHORT Pop-Rock sound RTL 2 NEWS p.15 p.17–18 RTL2 FÊTE SES 20 ANS ! PEOPLE RTL2, LA Radio du son POP-ROCK a 20 ANS, l’occasion de fêter cet évènement avec ses auditeurs, qui n’ont jamais été aussi p.19nombreux depuis sa création avec 2 830 000 auditeurs chaque jour.
    [Show full text]
  • Kurdistan Regional Government
    Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 05/05/2021 12:48:24 PM Subject: Commemorating the 30th anniversary of Operation Provide Comfort - Final Speaker Lis From: Kurdistan Regional Government - USA <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Date Sent: Tuesday April 27, 2021 12:05:10 PM GMT-04:00 Date Received: Tuesday April 27, 2021 12:45:22 PM GMT-04:00 Kurdistan Regional Government Representation in the United States Washington D.C. Final Speaker List The Turning Point: Operation Provide Comfort Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the US-led humanitarian mission - B m & / 3* The Turning Point: Operation Provide Comfort Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the US-led humanitarian mission When Tomorrow, April 28, 10 am EST / 5 pm Erbil Time 1/3 Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 05/05/2021 12:48:24 PM Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 05/05/2021 12:48:24 PM Where Virtual Event Register This month marks the 30th anniversary of a remarkable humanitarian action, known as Operation Provide Comfort, led by the United States, the UK and France, which saved hundreds of thousands of Kurds who had fled the genocidal actions of Saddam Hussein in 1991. Following the Kurdish uprising against the dictator in March 1991, Hussein used his helicopter gunships and tanks to attack the people who had risen up against his regime. Fearing that Hussein would use chemical weapons again, up to 2 million Kurds fled to border mountains of Turkey and Iran, where they were stranded, facing death from exposure to the elements, malnutrition and disease.
    [Show full text]
  • Iraq's Stolen Election
    Iraq’s Stolen Election: How Assyrian Representation Became Assyrian Repression ABOUT ASSYRIANS An estimated 1.5 million people globally comprise a distinct, indigenous ethnic group. Tracing their heritage to ancient Assyria, Assyrians speak an ancient language referred to as Assyrian, Syriac, Aramaic, or Neo-Aramaic. The contiguous territory that forms the traditional Assyrian homeland includes parts of southern and south- eastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syria. The Assyrian population in Iraq, estimated at approximately 200,000, constitutes the largest remaining concentration of the ethnic group in the Middle East. The majority of these reside in their ancestral homelands in the Nineveh Plain and within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Assyrians are predominantly Christian. Some ethnic Assyrians self-identify as Chaldeans or Syriacs, depending on church denomination. Assyrians have founded five Eastern Churches at different points during their long history: the Ancient Church of the East, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church. The majority of Assyrians who remain in Iraq today belong to the Chaldean and Syriac churches. Assyrians represent one of the most consistently persecuted communities in Iraq and the wider Middle East. ABOUT THE ASSYRIAN POLICY INSTITUTE Founded in May 2018, the Assyrian Policy Institute works to support Assyrians as they struggle to maintain their rights to the lands they have inhabited for thousands of years, their ancient language, equal opportunities in education and employment, and to full participation in public life. www.assyrianpolicy.org For questions and media inquiries, @assyrianpolicy contact us via email at [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of the Media in Developing Democracy in Kurdistan: a Study of Rudaw Journalists’ Perspectives, Notions and Attitudes
    The Role of The Media in Developing Democracy In Kurdistan: A study of Rudaw Journalists’ Perspectives, Notions and Attitudes Afshin Ismaeli MA in Journalism Studies University of Oslo Department of Media and Communication May 2015 Abstract: This thesis examines the professional notion and attitudes of journalists in Kurdistan region, highlighting improvements in media performances in addition to indicating to the role of journalists in developing democracies and specific conflicts of journalists with societal norms, political and economic interests. Iraqi Kurdistan is an example of democratic transition in the middle of conflict hot zone. The study is based on qualitative interviews with journalists and managers of Rudaw media network. The thesis argues that Rudaw journalists seem more than the other media are able to challenge the dominant norms and standards and did make contributions to the advancement of democracy in Kurdistan. Journalistic professionalism is used by Rudaw journalists to show their autonomy and objectivity, and their will to empower public participation by enabling more dialogue among groups, and Rudaw voices the concerns of civil society The research displayed the existence of political, economic and cultural factors, as well as to an extent religious, journalists’ attitudes and organizational structure that together create a difficult setting for Rudaw journalists. These factors have influenced the professional standards of journalism in Kurdistan and further the efforts of journalists in developing democracy in Iraqi Kurdistan. Findings from this study reveal that Rudaw do have a role to play in developing democracy and human rights. This role is important because it gives the media responsibility of serving the interests of the citizens and being the mediators of the democratic process.
    [Show full text]