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Iraq’s first independent student newspaper is now in its ninth month of publishing. Started by an American journalist, the paper teaches students the principles of unbiased journalism in a country where freedom of the press is still limited.

by Paromita Pain

In July, Iraq’s first independent student newspaper won an award from the American Associated College Press. For a newspaper that only produced its first issue nine months ago, it was quite an honor. The paper’s faculty adviser, Jackie Spinner, and the editor in chief, Arez Hussen Ahmed, were present at the College Journalism Workshop in Minnesota to receive their award for Seventh Place in Best in Show.

The AUI-S Voice (http://www.auisvoice.org/), as the English-language newspaper is called, is based at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani (AUI-S). In addition to being the Voice’s faculty adviser, Spinner is the newspaper’s founder. She was motivated to start the paper after working as a Washington Post reporter in Baghdad from 2004-2005.

Spinner wanted to help improve journalism in the country. Since the U.S. invasion, it has been listed by the Committee to Protect Journalists as one of the most dangerous places in the world for a journalist to work. Iraq has few legal protections for journalists. Despite this harsh reality, many news outlets have opened since the end of Hussein’s reign. After going home to the United States and writing a book, Spinner returned to Iraq to get involved with the emerging media sector.

“I wanted to be a tiny part of it and come back to help these young, eager, energetic students learn want it means to be free and objective and be responsible members of the press,” she said.

In 2009, Spinner approached the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani about starting the newspaper. The university opened its doors three years ago in northern Iraq and offers “an American-style liberal arts education.” She believed the institution would be a good host because it is run by Americans who value a free student press and would allow the paper to be modelled after U.S. college newspapers. Starting a paper from scratch isn’t easy but Spinner has been grateful for the help the university has always unstintingly given. The university exercises no editorial control.

Required Course: Journalism 101

Spinner’s biggest task has been turning enthusiastic students into reporters. “I voluntarily taught a journalism workshop every weekend to teach them about how to write stories, conduct interviews and do multimedia journalism,” she said. “All of our students in the first semester of publication were required to read and sign our policy handbook before I issued them a press card. That means they had to familiarize themselves and commit to abiding by the SPJ [Society of Professional Journalists] code of ethics, agree not to use anonymous sources, avoid writing about politics, be mindful of the issues they discussed on Facebook and the like.”

The Voice registered in 2009 with the Kurdistan Regional Government. It published its first issue on January 31 of this year. The newspaper is published weekly – both online and in print. Students at AUI-S have full internet access at school, in internet cafes and some have it at home.

The student reporters cover campus news just like any other college or university newspaper. From student worries over dorm accidents to canteen woes, the paper covers topics directly related to their lives.

Every Saturday is production day. Spinner explained: “We get together for production, and in the last minutes before deadline, I sit with the students frantically scanning headlines for spelling mistakes, offering advice about design, advising them on AP Style. After each issue, I have stepped back just a little bit more, become a little more of an observer than a participant.”

Students Making History

For the students, this is a challenge they enjoy as well as learn from. Namo Kaftan, an information technology major and Web Editor for the Voice, said: “I remember the first day I saw the bulletin on the student notice board. We decided to go to the first meeting and see it for ourselves what this was going be about. Jackie impressed me when she said, ‘If other universities in the world out there can do this why can’t we.’ This motivated me to do something that hasn’t been achieved yet. Some people research and explore to write history, some people read history, and some people argue about history, but we made history for both our university and our country.”

Yad Faiq, who is studying information technology and is the Voice’s design editor, said: “I have always dreamed of being a designer. I was travelling far in my dreams as a designer, but there were limitations. I had little opportunity to practice seriously. I learned responsibilities of teamwork at the Voice. I understood that sometimes obstacles might always be there but no matter what I should get over them.”

For Laylan Amir, a business administration major from Baghdad and Voice reporter, this was a time to learn the values of honest and objective rather than subjective reporting.” I am learning also about commitment and dealing with what is called the deadline,” he said.

Participating in the ACP National College Journalism Workshop at the University of Minnesota underscored the important undertaking that is student journalism in Iraq. All the editors wanted to go, even holding a dolma cook-off to raise money for their trip, but the only editor to get his visa in time from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was the editor in chief.

“Having the students spend time with college journalists from the United States is an unbelievable opportunity for them as well as for the U.S. students,” Spinner explained. “Our students are working in a country without student press protections, where a young student journalist was recently kidnapped and murdered. They are working under the most extraordinary circumstances. I feel like I gave something to Iraq and now I get to step back and watch it grow. It's the most rewarding thing I've ever done.”

Paromita Pain has been employed with The Hindu Newspaper, Chennai, India since January 2003. She writes for young people on a range of themes, with a special interest in media for young people, health issues, human rights and youth in situations of conflict. She can be reached at paromita.pain@gmail.com.

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