On 15 January 2025, 26 Kurdish journalists and several media outlets in the Iraqi Kurdistan region issued a statement directed at all media organisations in the area. The statement underscored the importance of remaining attuned to the exceptional conditions affecting all four parts of Kurdistan, with a particular focus on Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava).
The journalists urged the media to prioritise the Kurdish issue, embedding it at the heart of their work, and highlighting the shared goals and aspirations of the Kurdish people within the broader Middle East context. They emphasised the profound changes occurring in the region, following the fall of the Ba’ath regime in Syria and the potential for significant shifts throughout the Middle East.
The statement is a critique of the current state of journalism in Iraqi Kurdistan. Influenced by the Turkish occupation, some Kurdish media outlets in the region have, in recent years, strayed from prioritising the common interests of the Kurdish people. Instead, they have increasingly attempted to impose rigid, partisan perspectives in their news coverage and reporting.
The statement also called upon media outlets to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the current landscape:
“Undoubtedly, the current opportunity space necessitates that all media and journalists embrace a national, cultural, and humanitarian strategy above all else.”
It further stressed the need for unity amidst political diversity:
“The heightened sensitivity of the current situation, particularly in regions such as Rojava, will drive journalists and media outlets to prioritise ‘Kurdishness’ and the collective interests of the Kurdish people, transcending political divisions.”
The journalists highlighted the varying political and social dynamics across the four parts of Kurdistan:
“Kurdish political parties, societies, and media across all parts of Kurdistan must remember their pivotal role during the 2014 ISIS attack. At that time, they upheld the national interests of the Kurds in their reporting, covering events with integrity regardless of personal or political biases.”
The statement concluded with a call to uphold professional journalistic ethics, urging all journalists and media outlets in the Kurdistan region to align their reporting with national interests, public opinion, and the shared values of the Kurdish people in the Middle East.
The signatories of the statement are seasoned journalists, each with extensive experience in the professional media landscape of Iraqi Kurdistan.
