Recommendations for Stakeholders Regarding Media Coverage of War and Armed ConflictsDate: March 16, 2026
Introduction
On Monday, March 16, 2026, Jasana Organization convened an open discussion
session in Sulaymaniyah, attended by media directors, editors-in-chief,
academics, and representatives from relevant government and security
authorities. The session aimed to evaluate media performance during wartime and
establish professional standards for handling military news and information. As
a result of the discussions, the following recommendations were formulated and
directed to media outlets, journalists, and relevant authorities:
Section
I: Recommendations for Media Outlets and Journalists
- Neutrality and Balanced Coverage: Media outlets must acknowledge
that the Kurdistan Region is not a direct party to the conflict.
Therefore, media discourse should remain balanced and neutral, avoiding
alignment with any warring faction.
- National Interest: While journalists have the right
to cover war events, such coverage must prioritize national interests and
remain free from the influence of external agendas belonging to the
conflicting parties.
- Principle of Responsibility: Media outlets must uphold the
principle of social responsibility, ensuring that coverage does not incite
panic or terror among the public. Violent language should be replaced with
calming and professional terminology.
- Countering Misinformation: Professional media must not
serve as a platform for rumors, psychological warfare, or fabricated
images and information disseminated by warring parties.
- Fact-Checking and Verification: It is mandatory for media
outlets to rigorously verify the accuracy of information and the
credibility of sources before publication.
- Protection of Military Secrets: Media outlets are prohibited
from publishing military secrets, strategic geographical details, or
sensitive locations that could be targeted by the warring parties.
- Human Dignity and Privacy: Graphic images or videos of
victims must not be broadcast in a manner that violates human dignity. The
identity of victims must be protected, and their families’ privacy
respected, ensuring they are notified before names are publicly released.
- Preserving Social Normalcy: To prevent widespread anxiety
and disruption of daily life, media outlets should limit the airtime and
space allocated to war news, prioritizing general public affairs, daily
services, and entertainment.
- Avoiding Internal Disputes: In abnormal circumstances, media
outlets should avoid highlighting minor local or internal conflicts that
could undermine the general public interest and national unity.
- Focus on Civilian Impact: Increased focus should be placed
on the damage caused by war to civilian properties, public infrastructure,
and essential services.
- Professional Development: Media organizations should
invest in specialized training and workshops regarding war reporting and
emergency coverage to develop professional war correspondents.
- Identification and Safety: Journalists must wear
specialized press uniforms and protective gear during field coverage to be
clearly distinguished from ordinary civilians by security and military
forces.
Section
II: Recommendations for Relevant Authorities
- Prior Coordination: Relevant government agencies
should engage in prior consultation and coordination with media
institutions before issuing new regulations or directives.
- Legal Adherence: All interactions with the media
must be conducted in accordance with the law, specifically the Kurdistan
Press Law No. (35) of 2007.
- Legal Immunity and Protection: Under the regional Press Law and
the Geneva Conventions, journalists are classified as civilians and public
service providers. They must be granted legal immunity and protection
while performing their duties.
- Freedom of Expression: Military operations or conflict
situations must not be used as a pretext to suppress press freedom or
restrict the right to publish.
- Right to Information: The legal right to access
information must be guaranteed. Authorities should provide timely updates
to all media outlets without discrimination or favoritism.
- Academic Integration: The Ministry of Higher Education
is urged to instruct universities to include "War Journalism" as
a core subject within the curricula of media and communication colleges.
- Institutional Transparency: The roles of spokespersons for
the Ministry of Peshmerga and other security agencies should be further
activated to provide accurate and official information to the media.
- National Awareness: Relevant authorities should
continuously promote national awareness through the media to boost public
morale and counter psychological warfare during times of conflict.