About the Newsletter

The Iraq Media Developments Newsletter was launched in May 2003 in order to archive reporting on Iraq's postwar media climate. It focused on telecommunications policies and infrastructure as well. Edited by Centre Director Monroe Price, the newsletter was sent out periodically depending on volume.
The newsletter contains full articles in their original text from international media outlets, as well as original analysis and commentary from Stanhope staff. We have archived over 400 articles, transcripts and interviews, including much of the official documentation for the Iraqi Media Network and telecommunications contracts.

Back Issues
Note: the descriptions below are not comprehensive and are only a summary of the main subjects in each issue. All back issues, except for Issue 26, are presented in text-only format, and some links to external content may have expired since their initial publication.

Issue 27 - Fall 2004 - Government pressure on outlets; coverage of Fallujah offensive; Iraqi media code of conduct; Aljazeera ban.

Issue 26 - Summer 2004 - After the changeover; media commissions
Addendum - Aljazeera's ethics code; new Arab networks; .iq domain

Issue 25 - May 2004 - Endurance of CPA Orders vs. new government's power; Communications and Media Commission; television viewership polls; Al-Sabah; Margaret Tutwiler; Bush's interviews; violent imagery

Issue 24 - April 20-30 2004 - U.S. pressure on Aljazeera; Alhurra viewership; Iraqi weblogs

Issue 23 - April 1-22 2004 - Media Commission appointed; Harris Corp.; SCIRI and Al Alam; Fallujah coverage; mobile contracts; mobile vs. fixed-line infrastructure; journalist training; Iraqi soap operas

Special Issue - Al Hawza

Issue 22 - March 2004 - Media Commission established (Order 65); Public Service Broadcasting Order 66; more on election advertising campaign; Al Hawza closed; RFE analysis of Iraqi media; publisher's account of Iraqi press; libel laws; a blogger's views on Iraqi Media Network and Al Hurra

Issue 21 - 27 January-17 February, 2004 - Al Hurra an "insult"; CPA on incitement of violence; advertising the election; Aljazeera banned from IGC affairs; IGC proposes media code; Al Arabiya back on air; Harris Corp; more mobile network development

Issue 20 - Journalist training and unions; Iraqi Media Network awardees; public diplomacy and hearts and minds; SAIC's failure; tabloids; Al Hurra; Al Arabiya back soon; Governing Council moves toward a media code; cellphones

Issue 19 - 30 December, 2003-12 January, 2004 - Iraqi Media Network contract awarded; female journalists; Iraqi Media Network's credibility; growth of mobile network; commentary on Al Hurra; "C-SPAN Baghdad"

Issue 18 - 2-26 December, 2003 - Iraqi Media Network contract delayed, future in doubt; WorldSpace's IMN bid; SAIC's temporary IMN contract; Radio Free Iraq; mobile telecom firms move in to build network; RFE on terrorism reporting; Cairo newspaper on U.S. propaganda's inevitable failure; Damascus paper on U.S. censorship

Issue 17 - 13 November-1 December, 2003 - Al-Arabiya's license is revoked indefinitely: news and reaction; more Iraqi Media Network tender documents; Rumsfeld on Al-Arabiya, A-A on Rumsfeld; Al-Iraqiya and its competition; more IMN criticism; "C-SPAN Baghdad"; Pentagon probe of mobile contract award; Internet in the Arab world

Issue 16 - Margaret Tutwiler; RFE analysis of Iraqi media; Iraqi Media Network contract; Aljzazeera and Al-Arabiya vs. IMN; Aljazeera recoils; poor propaganda machine; name change: Al-Iraqiya; SAIC; wireless telecom; shaping attitudes through media; Harris Corp.

Issue 15 - 13-24 October, 2003 - Iraqi Media Network tender and interested parties; Al Alam; Tikrit; IMN criticism; mobile contract protested; mobile market estimates

Issue 14 - 29 September-13 October, 2003 - Iraqi Media Network criticism; BBC World Service Trust withdraws; Arab Media Forum; libraries; Aljazeera recoils after ban; Al Arabiya profile; telecom contracts; IT infrastructure survey

Issue 13 - Aljazeera and Al Arabiya banned from Governing Council coverage; Advisory Group on Public Diplomacy report; public diplomacy vs. free media debate; Aljazeera online in English; Internet; mobile contract

Issue 12 - 2-18 September, 2003 - IWPR commentary; public diplomacy; Haselock; Baghdad Blogger; mobile contract

Issue 11 - 6-30 August, 2003 - Haselock; newspaper strike; enforcing Order 14, inciting violence, etc.; SAIC; mobile contract

Issue 10 - 28 July-5 August, 2003 - Al-Rikabi and Iraqi Media Network's credibility gap; CJR on media development; Internet cafes; telecom contract bidding

Issue 9 - 27 June-23 July, 2003 - media "frenzy", "free-for-all", etc.; Internet cafes; mobile telecom contract; Mosul TV; IGC threatens Aljazeera and Al Arabiya

Issue 8 - 23-29 June, 2003 - New Republic, Guardian and Reuters on media development prospects; Internet bus; satellite TV

Issue 7 - 16-22 June, 2003 - media "free-for-all"; satellite phones; more Order 14; Internet cafes; IWPR on media reconstruction

Issue 6 - 8-16 June, 2003 - shaping public opinion; Internet; rapid growth of radio and press; Radio Sawa; Baghdad Bulletin; Al Alam journalists; censoring anti-US lies (Order 14); underpaid journalists; rebuilding telecom networks

Issue 5 - 1-8 June, 2003 - Athens Conference; Iraqi Media Network; BBC World Service; Baghdad Blogger; attacks on journalists; new newspapers

Issue 4 - 22-29 May, 2003 - Jobless journalists; SAIC; Margaret Tutwiler and censorship; Shiite media

Issue 3 - 18-25 May, 2003 - SCIRI radio; Toronto Star commentary; several analysis of burgeoning media environment from CNN, AP, US News, etc; Baghdad ISPs

Issue 2 - Mid-May, 2003 - Towards Freedom TV; Al Basrah; the Birth of the Iraqi Media Network (al Sabah; Radio Sawa; SAIC; al Iraqiyah); rebirth of Iraqi press

Issue 1 - Early May, 2003 - General Petraeus and Al Jazeera; SCIRI radio broadcasts; satellite dishes; Al Jazeera in Canada; Jamie Metzl on broadcast rights; RFE on media growth and quality; Worker-Communist Party of Iraq; CSM on Radio Iraq and Radio Sawa; Karbala TV; Slate on the virtues of censorship