In an article called ‘Ahead of Elections, Iraqi Kurdistan’s “Shadow Media” Ramps Up’, published on the website inkstickmedia.com on 28 August, Winthrop Rodgers exposes a network of social media accounts and media outlets spreading disinformation to manipulate public opinion ahead of the upcoming elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
The upcoming elections on 20 October, originally scheduled for 2022, are taking place under the shadow of Turkish military actions and regional instability, and are expected to play a crucial role in shaping the future political landscape of the KRI and its relationship with neighbouring powers.
In his article, Rodgers refers to a so-called “shadow media”, describing “networks of social media pages that are affiliated with political parties and powerful individuals in the KRI”, and whose primary purpose is “to manipulate public opinion in service of their patron”.
These social media pages with up to 100,000 followers on Facebook, the most used social media platform in the KRI, are being used by both the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and by smaller opposition parties. The ruling parties will use their networks to portray themselves as “paternal protectors and statesmen” and to launch “defamatory attacks on rivals, journalists and critics”, Rodgers said.
The opposition parties, on the other hand, use their social media networks as a way to “bypass mainstream outlets, stoke public anger, and introduce doubts about the ruling parties and competitors within the opposition”, while following the policy of the party or individual that they are being sponsored by.
Rodgers highlighted the influence these networks have on the public’s trust in journalism, highlighting that there is a huge influence on the political landscape in the KRI as well, as it consists of fewer than three million eligible voters. This means that accounts seen by tens of thousands of people can have a profound effect on the public’s political opinion.
The so-called ‘shadow media’ will directly attack public figures, especially prominent women, by spreading false information about them or even “publishing fake statements in their name in order to provoke public outrage”, added Rezan Sheikh Dler, a lawyer and women’s rights activist affected by these attacks.
Dler explained that “women often face threats of fake photos or videos that show them in compromising situations”, which results in making “women politicians unable to speak the truth and withdraw from politics”.
In his article, Rodgers raises concerns about the influence the ‘shadow media’ will have on the KRI elections in October, stating that solutions to reduce their influence cannot be implemented within the two months leading up to the elections. “As the campaign heats up, the pace and intensity of shadow media’s activities will only grow,” he warned.
Underlining the severity in which the ‘shadow media’ has influenced the media landscape in the KRI, Rodgers concluded by saying, “The shadow media has confused the Kurdish media in such a way that it is difficult to see the truth.”
