The guidelines are designed as a self-regulatory tool for media to gain awareness about the dangers of inflammatory language in reporting on elections. This Arabic resource, which includes suggested alternatives to facilitate more conflict-sensitive reporting, has been distributed to Iraqi media outlets and government offices prior to Election Day in Iraq.
In 2006, the inflammatory media coverage following the bombing of the al-Askari mosque fanned the flames of sectarian violence that swept the country. More recently, in the run-up to the elections on March 7, Iraqi media have been using terms like "sectarian quotas," "foreign agendas" and "national resistance" that have dangerously increased sectarian tensions. These are just some of the terms included in the "User Guidelines for Preventing Media Incitement to Violence Elections Edition," a resource developed by USIP’s Center of Innovation for Media, Conflict and Peacebuilding in collaboration with UNESCO and Iraqi media partners.
The guidelines are designed as a self-regulatory tool for media to gain awareness about the dangers of inflammatory language in reporting on elections. This Arabic resource, which includes suggested alternatives to facilitate more conflict-sensitive reporting, has been distributed to Iraqi media outlets and government offices prior to Election Day in Iraq.
Please note that this resource has been designed exclusively as an Arabic language document. The English version is a translation that attempts to preserve the meaning of the Arabic text. However, some variations in meaning and style may occur.
This resource is a precursor to an expanded set of guidelines on preventing media incitement to violence in Iraq.