Iraq: Apr ‘08

Journalists attending IWPR Iraq’s radio course in April said they learned important skills and techniques that will benefit their careers.



IWPR trained 12 Iraqi journalists from five provinces in radio reporting and editing skills, in a session that ran from April 5-10 in Sulaimaniyah.



The course “built my radio expertise and made me aware of the latest techniques in radio broadcasting, which was a benefit in and of itself”, said Shawkat al-Bayati, an editor and producer with Al-Mahaba Radio in Baghdad, who has taken other IWPR courses.



“IWPR has opened new doors for me and helped me reach the level that I enjoy now.”



IWPR trained students in how to conduct background research prior to conducting interviews, select sources, start and end reports; as well as sound mixing and editing. After the basic skills training, the students hit the streets of Sulaimaniyah, where the course was held, and began reporting.



They produced an array of stories that addressed a mix of cultural, political, business and social issues. The reports reflected life in Iraqi Kurdistan, which has become more diverse over the past two years as Iraqis from southern provinces, most of them Arab, have moved to the relatively safe northern region.



Two reports looked at the changes in the north: one focused on the painful memories of Iraqis who had fled their homes for Iraqi Kurdistan, while another tackled inflation following the influx of Baghdad residents to the north.



Other reports looked at the Kurdish love of Arabic music; the difficulties air passengers face in Iraqi airports; tensions between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party; and the honey industry in Iraqi Kurdistan.



Students said they gained from the theoretical aspects of the course, and particularly enjoyed the reporting assignments – which, they said, enhanced their skills.



Duraed Salman, a print journalist from Baghdad, said that the course persuaded him to switch to radio, which, he said, attracted him because of its much bigger audiences.



“The Institute offered me a golden opportunity because my experience to date has been limited to print journalism,” he said. “After the course, I had a clear picture of what radio journalism is all about.



“Radio stations in Iraq are modernising and require skilled journalists.”