By Avin Youssef
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Kurdish journalism went through several development phases throughout history, leading up to a major milestone with the launch of the first Kurdish newspaper, titled “Kurdistan.”
Miqdad Madhat Badrkhan published the first issue of the newspaper in Cairo on April 22, 1898, which became a day to celebrate Kurdish journalism by Kurds everywhere.
In its early stages, Kurdish journalism began through the efforts of Kurdish writers, politicians, literati, and intellectuals. The publications focused on poetry, stories, and cultural and social topics, somewhat avoiding politics.
Party media
Party-led media played a significant role in the development of Kurdish journalism. However, it faced challenges related to freedom of thought and opinion due to the repressive policies of the governments in power in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Additionally, financial challenges and a lack of qualified and specialized expertise did not help.
Sherin Ibrahim, a Kurdish journalist, told North Press freedom of the press is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about journalism. This seems logical despite its contradiction with our reality in countries ruled by military forces.
She pointed out that these factors, such as factionalism, may have caused the Kurdish media to become mired locally, in an effort to maintain its loyal audience, rather than working to attract a new one.
She indicated the situation is not bad overall, but it reduces access to Kurdish journalistic content that is supposed to reflect the customs, opinions, and aspirations of Kurds.
Co-chair of the Free Media Union, an independent professional institution deals with the rights of the journalists in Northeast Syria that was founded in 2012, Deliyar Jaziri, told North Press that despite the differences in orientations and ideas, party-led media played a role in the continuity of Kurdish journalism, which was evident through publications of the party and later through the launch of satellite channels, websites, and other media outlets.
Additionally, Kurdish journalist Binyad Jaziri believes there has been a noticeable development in Kurdish media after 126 years.
Jaziri emphasized that the broadcasting of “MED TV” in 1995, the first Kurdish satellite channel, at a time when Kurds were being killed, displaced, and arrested by oppressive states, especially Turkey, was a media revolution and became a basis for correcting the media.
Jaziri added that Kurds learned about their national identity through the media and preserved their language, culture, and history. They also learned about their rights, making the Kurdish issue a matter of public opinion.
It also paved the way for other media outlets and played a role in transmitting information and disseminating the culture of other components in the region, he added.
Freedom
Deliyar Jaziri believes that journalists have more freedom in areas run by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) because it has opened the way for media outlets to keep pace with events in the region after decades of repression and suppression of expression by the Syrian government.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim emphasized that journalistic performance is a measure of freedom of expression in a given area. Restricting public freedoms does not mean that there is no or little journalistic content, which may actually serve the people in that area.
In turn, Zana Omar, a Kurdish journalist from Syria, told North Press that after the Syrian crisis, there was a fundamental change in media, especially in terms of freedom of expression.
Omar pointed out that after 2011, most Syrian regions, especially Northeast Syria, witnessed a significant level of freedom despite being a conflict zone
Omar believes that freedom in Kurdish areas is due to the nature of the Kurdish identity in fighting for survival.
More than 100 licensed media outlets, including Arabic, Kurdish, and international media, operate in Northeast Syria.
Below required level
Ibrahim believes that Kurdish media in Northeast Syria is in direct contact with people’s livelihood crises and is interested in local and international events, artists or public figures, artistic and literary publications, and searches for inspiring stories of attempts at change or adaptation.
Ibrahim pointed out that the newly-established institutions and their operation under decades of intellectually, politically, and culturally suppressive rule of the Kurdish identity does not make it easier.
Ibrahim emphasizes that developing the media requires tremendous efforts at a time when media institutions are struggling with defining identity, goals, and plans, scarce funding, and high costs of operation and production.
Binyad Jaziri, in turn, believes that despite all the developments in Kurdish media, it is not enough and needs further development. He believes that media outlets and personnel should work on shaping public opinion by highlighting and analyzing important topics professionally.
Kurdish media in conflicts
Omar believes Kurdish journalists and media professionals in Syria, despite an inclination to portray the struggle for survival, were able to convey their cause to Arab and international public opinion.
Omar pointed out that Kurdish media played a significant role in shedding light on the attacks against the region, whether by Turkey or terrorist organizations such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS formerly al-Nusra Front) or the Islamic State (ISIS), in addition to the systematic policies against Kurds.
Kurdish media attempted to be professional and reached “good” and advanced stages as it developed, according to Omar.
Binyad Jaziri stresses that Kurdish media in Northeast Syria succeeded in showing and portraying to the world the resistance in the city of Kobani against ISIS, and the liberation of areas in Northeast Syria from the group.
Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, 763 journalists have lost their lives in various regions of Syria, including 28 journalists, mainly Kurds, killed in Northeast Syria, according to the annual violations report issued by the Free Media Union in 2023.
Dozens of journalists have also been injured as a result of direct and indirect targeting while covering the war against ISIS and the Turkish attacks on the region, some of which have resulted in permanent disabilities.
Moreover, several journalists remain missing, and no party has revealed their fate to this day.