Iraqi newspapers

May 25, 2003 11:24 AM

Al-Muajaha, "The Iraqi Witness," is a new independent newspaper in Baghdad that's also published online. In fact, new newspapers are appearing in Iraq almost every day, though many are mouthpieces for political parties. I find this proliferation of information to be a good sign.
posted by homunculus (7 comments total)

Real civil society is more important than a given political structure anyday. Good luck to these folks.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 11:33 AM on May 25, 2003

This is interesting.
posted by spazzm at 3:41 PM on May 25, 2003

All these newspapers will make a very interesting reading 10-20 years from now on (I'm still keeping those published right after 9/11). However, you have to be quick, 90% of them will disappear in 3-4 months as it happened in Eastern Europe back in '90.

Do not be surprised that you find many extreme points of view, they are just experimenting. In few years, when the excitement will be gone, sales will go down and the newspapers will have to attract more customers. Those without a very strong political support will move towards the center of the political spectrum.

Of topic: there is something in the introductory part of the salam pax's article (italics) that does not sound like him, to me at least.
posted by MzB at 8:29 PM on May 25, 2003

[make that Off topic]
posted by MzB at 8:32 PM on May 25, 2003

how can you be so optimistic when former Fedayeen Saddam POWs have bags put over their heads and French cameramen are getting black eyes left and right? Jesus!
posted by shoos at 9:54 PM on May 25, 2003

shoos, I'm not optimistic. I see more bad signs than good. But here I saw something positive that I thought was worth calling attention to.
posted by homunculus at 10:13 PM on May 25, 2003

I sympathize. I had an unfortunate bout of facetiousness.
posted by shoos at 12:02 AM on May 26, 2003