Iraq

The mass media has had a vibrant, if fractured, history in Iraq. Modern Iraq comprises contrasting lands: Its fertile plain of Mesopotamia (land between the rivers) is bordered by the Kurdish mountains to the north and Syrian/Arabian Desert to the west. The country was forged as a nation from a great power compromise after World War I and endured years of hardship under the Ba’ath Party and Western interventions that reached a destructive peak in early 20th century. Iraq’s media have often been both the first target of regimes and the initiator of change. This entry provides an overview of media in Iraq, including their origins, development, and challenges.