Under the title “The New Iraqi Media after 2003: Challenges and Achievements”. The guest speaker is Mr. Ismael Zeir- a renowned Iraqi media personality and editor of Al-Sabah Al-Jadid Newspaper ( New Sabah Daily Newspaper).
Abstract:
The Iraqi Media has faced tremendous challenges since 2003. With the newly established titles and the difficulties that accompanied, Iraqi journalists have suffered great burdens due to lack of professional grounds on which the new era of media would prevail. Taking into consideration the fact that the social function of journalism has shifted from the totalitarian government control to free and pluralistic entities.
As the time progressed, it was apparent that efforts to establish a new media structure coherent to the new social factors, was not so successful in reflecting and dealing with a new reality in its social, economical and organizational aspects.
Today, many obstacles and difficulties have hindered Iraqi media. The new developments with its positivism reflected by the recent initiatives, were not sufficient to support new tasks at hand. All the social tensions and the dividing social factors had negative impact on media operation, forcing it to pay a high price for its existence and continuity.
Our seminar is an effort to clarify and put the general Iraqi scene on the table and try to specify what was achieved and what was not in a particularly new Iraqi media experience.
Moderator:
Jabbar Jaffar
M.A. in Public Communication
Mr. Jafar holds M.A. in Public Communication, American University in Washington, D.C., and M.A. in Media and Journalism, St. Clement University,Baghdad.Formerly worked as a public relation and media specialist at the Iraqi Cultural Center.
He was a training lead at CLS Company; in this position was responsible for management and oversight of training support for a variety of linguists and staff positions at all career levels. He gave lecture series on the culture and political systems of Iraq and other Gulf countries. From 2005 – 2008, he was a Senior Media Relations Officer, Public Affairs Office, PCO/GRD, Baghdad, Iraq. Manages public information and media relations with the Iraqi and Arabic media markets; plans, advises, coordinates broadcast and print interviews.
Speaker:
Ismael Zayer
Iraqi Writer and Media Person
Editor of Al-Sabah Al-Jadid Newspaper
Zayer was born in Baghdad 1947. Has a degree in Fine Arts Diploma, Baghdad, 1978 and a Special Diploma,Brussels University. He is a Fine Arts Critique who has published number of writings on Modern Art and Iraqi Arts in particular. Author of “Iraqi Modernism”(in printing). Founder of “Äl-Sabah Newspaper”, the first national newspaper after the downfall of Saddam dictatorship in Baghdad.In 2004, he established “Al-Sabah Al-Jadid”and was the board chairman.
Ismael worked in Europe as a correspondent for “Äl-Hyatte” newspaper, London, for 10 years working on Iraqi news until 2003.Worked in a number of Arab newspapers like Äl-Etihad, Al-Khalij, UAE. Ismael has experience as a documentaries Producer and a TV agency manager. Has a number of publications dedicated to establishing the modern media, 2010. He has always been interested with comparative studies between Iraqi and Arabic Media. Moreover, he is a Fine Artist who organized a number of exhibitions throughout Europe, in Amsterdam, The Hague, Brussels and Copenhagen.
