WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 3 (OneWorld) - Though it faces daily intimidation and what some are calling 'confusion' over professional standards, Iraq's burgeoning media has already begun to shape opinions on the street, said a group of senior Iraqi journalists on tour in the United States.

Additionally, Iraq will likely evolve into a stable and democratic country--and local media will play a leading role in that process--said the journalists, who spoke on condition their real names not be used out of fear for their security. But Americans should not expect the process to be quick or the bloodletting to end anytime soon, they added.

Iraqis are "very independent and won't take interference," said Nizar Al-Jamil (pseudonym), a journalist with one of Iraq's largest and most successful newspapers, through a translator. The type of democracy that exists in the United States cannot be imposed in Iraq, he explained, adding that Americans "will have to wait for Iraq to come to its own version of democracy."

Al-Jamil's comments were made before a small group of students and professors at American University in Washington, D.C. He and three other journalists were at the school recently to take part in a discussion of the state of media and democracy in the strife-torn country.

Citing Iraqis' reputation for being fiercely independent, Al-Jamil rejected the idea that the Iraqi media could ever be "Americanized"--or used to spread ideas favorable to the country that currently maintains approximately 130,000 troops within the country.

Several of the journalists on hand confirmed, however, that the current situation in Iraq makes it very difficult for the country's fledgling independent media outlets to offer ordinary Iraqis a complete and unbiased picture of current affairs in their country.

Dawud Rahman (pseudonym), who also writes for a well-known Iraqi newspaper, said he receives death threats everyday. The threats come from many sources espousing many different agendas, he said, though he specified only one: "I am proud to have received a threat from al-Qaeda," he said, referring to the Osama bin Laden-led terrorist group that now claims representation within Iraq.

Rahman referred to the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a "liberation" several times during the discussion--indicating a pro-United States disposition--but also said he routinely writes editorials critical of the current Iraqi regime and the Americans' performance in the country.

Satellite television journalist Abdel-Hakim (pseudonym) painted an even starker picture of the "indirect" media restrictions faced by correspondents with Iraq's independent television stations. U.S. forces often tell such journalists they are not allowed to cover certain events, Abdel-Hakim said. If they insist, they have been known to be arrested or killed, he charged, adding that in cases where journalists have been killed, "the U.S. military spokesman says they were killed by accident."

By contrast, according to Abdel-Hakim, journalists working for television stations directly supported by coalition forces have been given permission to cover the same events.

Despite the many dangers faced by journalists, the number of media outlets in Iraq has grown exponentially since the ouster of Saddam Hussein's regime, which exercised total control over the country's few information sources during its reign.

Al-Jamil cited the number of television stations now operating in Iraq at more than 25 and said there are a total of over 100 newspapers--publishing both in Baghdad and in localities throughout the country--about 17 of which are dailies.

Under Saddam Hussein's rule it was illegal to own a satellite dish but today Iraq may have more satellite dishes than any other Arab country, said Rahman, describing a population eager to learn and talk about political rights, human rights, "any and everything."

Though they may be thirsting for more news and receiving it from many sources, the quality and independence of much of the information Iraqis receive is not always the strongest, the journalists agreed.

According to Rahman, there are three types of media outlets in Iraq: a few that are "protected by the state," a significant number that are financed by political parties and act primarily as a mouthpiece for their officials, and others that are truly independent.

Though numerous independent sources emerged once the restrictions of Saddam Hussein's regime were lifted, many have since folded, he said.

Rahman credited the success of his own independent newspaper to the diversity of its staff. It is impossible to accuse his paper of representing any one political or religious faction, Rahman said, because the staff members represent all the country's major groups.

But as the country experienced a rapid increase in the number of media outlets, noted Al-Jamil, it quickly became clear that there was a shortage of trained, professional journalists. He said the country is currently in "a state of confusion about media standards and ethics," attributing the problem to an overall lack of experience and training.

The media sector is currently working to raise its professional standards, he added.

Despite its myriad problems, the four journalists largely agreed that Iraq's media would be instrumental in shaping whatever society emerges from the current turmoil.

Indeed, even for all its shortcomings, Iraq's media is already "starting to shape the opinions on the street," Rahman said.