Kurdish journalism between history, reality: Calls to modernize media performance, unify discourse

The main purpose of establishing media forms and communication, with emergence to exchange information with earliest years to achieve Com. between humans. In parallel with the emergence of language. The production of ideas was directly embodied in physical activity and communication between people, and in the language of daily life, forming what media science experts call "personal communication language."

This form evolved into mass communication, passing through printed journalism with the invention of printers and reaching this era of electronic journalism supported by artificial intelligence.

It can be said that the advent of printed journalism made it take shape and be recognized in the form we know today. Although Kurdish printed journalism appeared in the 19th century, later than its counterparts, it significantly contributed to preserving the language and culture, and thus the Kurdish identity.

This is in agreement with journalist Komas Shahbazi from Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhelat) during a special interview with ANHA agency, emphasizing the necessity of completing these tasks with greater responsibility to counter all attempts of assimilation and extermination that the Kurdish people have endured.

Why April 22nd?

April 22 was chosen as the "Kurdish Press Day" because it coincides with the anniversary of the establishment of the first Kurdish newspaper, named "Kurdistan," which was published by Prince Miqdad Medhat Bedirhan from the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on April 22, 1898.

The first headline of the newspapers "Kurdistan" was " I publish this newspaper with the aim of enhancing interest and love for learning in the hearts of my people, to give them the opportunity to learn about the civilization and progress of the era, as well as its literature. I seek nothing from the publication of this newspaper, even remotely, except for the interests and happiness of my people, and to raise the cultural level of my compatriots."

Commenting on that, the head of the Journalists' Syndicate in Southern Kurdistan (Basur), Mr. Azad Hamad Amin, said in a statement to ANHA agency that the responsibility of completing the first message of Kurdish journalism, which started from Cairo, has increased, especially in parallel with the recent attacks and siege on Southern Kurdistan and Rojava, which primarily aim to undermine the achievements and civilization of the Kurdish people.

Historical milestones

The Kurdistan newspaper was not the end; rather, it became the first seed for the birth of countless Kurdish newspapers and magazines to this day. Among the most notable is the Hawar magazine, published by Jaladat Bedir Khan in the Kurdish language using Latin script in Damascus in 1932, which brought about a qualitative leap in the publication of Kurdish language rules using Latin letters.

This significantly contributed to the qualitative advancement of Kurdish culture and literature, in addition to transforming it into a platform that confronts the exclusionary policies pursued by the authoritarian regimes occupying Kurdistan, within the battlefield of psychological warfare where media tools are employed.

It is also impossible to overlook the qualitative leap that the Kurdistan Freedom Movement made in the field of media activism after decades of stagnation, which began with the publication of the magazine "Voice of Kurdistan" in 1986 in Arabic, thru supporting the formation of media cadres.

Reaching the satellite channel (Med TV) in 1995 in the Belgian capital, Brussels, which is considered the first Kurdish satellite channel broadcasting worldwide and highlighting the issue of the Kurdish people across all of Kurdistan, paving the way for the opening of hundreds of satellite stations.

This media legacy has significantly worked to ensure Kurdish identity, and the question remains: Has this legacy been able to form a foundation upon which a comprehensive Kurdish unity strategy can be built, transcending geographical borders?

Media held hostage by party mentalities

In this regard, journalist Komas Shahbazi criticizes the fact that a large part of the Kurdish media remains hostage to political parties, which are the funding entities, and thus the ones that determine publishing policies that are mostly within the partisan mentality, without paying attention to the general Kurdish front.

For his part, Taha Khalil, one of the journalists in Western Kurdistan (Rojava), finds that one of the most important reasons limiting the development of Kurdish journalism is the apparent inclusion of ideology in news templates, which restricts the pursuit of available democracy and the production of intellectual products that encourage change.

As for journalist Serdar Altan from Northern Kurdistan (Bakur), he comments on the issue by emphasizing that there is a fundamental problem in conveying the voice of the Kurdish people through the press to international forums, a problem stemming from the weakness it suffers from on all intellectual or technical levels.

He continued his talk by saying: "Leader Abdullah Ocalan began a long struggle to attain rights, and the truth of this struggle has not been recognized by the international community. One could say that the main reason for this is the weakness of the Kurdish press in reflecting the reality of this struggle."

Reference unit of Kurdish journalism

As for the unity of Kurdish journalism, Komas believes that all that all journalist unions are formed in the four parts of Kurdistan should hold a comprehensive and inclusive conference similar to the efforts made to hold a comprehensive national Kurdish conference for parties. This conference should gather all Kurdish media outlets in order to unify the voice and policy, prioritize the public interest, and provide a broader space for Kurdish journalists, writers, and locals to think more freely to ensure the attainment of rights and to struggle in their own war trenches.

Journalist Serdar Altan also agrees with this idea and urges the necessity of opening discussions among all representatives of Kurdish journalists to work on solving existing problems, in addition to unifying efforts to establish a "reference for Kurdish journalism."

This is confirmed by Azad Hamad Amin, who points out that there have been attempts since the establishment of the first Kurdish journalists' union 28 years ago in Southern Kurdistan to unify the efforts of Kurdish journalism as a moral responsibility. These efforts continue as a fixed plan for the union, aiming to unify the reference for Kurdish journalism to serve the community, but they are met with the political contradictions of many parties.

As for the media figure Taha Khalil, he points out that the existing differences between the parties are a natural state and should be present, as they constitute a natural oversight, provided that the differences and disputes do not overshadow the overarching interest of the Kurdistan region, while incorporating the concept of respecting the other's differences.

Lack of research centers

Many researchers in the fields of media and communication point out that the field of Kurdish journalism lacks media research centers that play a pivotal role in producing impartial studies specialized in the development of media outlets.

Summarizing it as "through adopting content analysis concepts, understanding audience behavior and needs, and developing professional and technical performance at all levels according to precise evaluation standards that track errors and propose solutions contributing to updating journalistic practices, adopting solution journalism, and integrating modern technologies, to ensure media response to societal and political changes."

At this point, journalist Taha Khalil says that the establishment of any research institution requires sovereignty to ensure the achievement of research benefits away from external interventions that distort the true content. In parts of Kurdistan, this condition has not yet been met.

What is required of a Kurdish journalist?

In response to the question of what is required of a Kurdish journalist at this stage, journalist Komas said: "First, a Kurdish journalist is required to familiarize themselves with all the cultures and dialects that represent their community, such as Kurmanj, Soran, Zaza, Bahdini, and others. It is unreasonable to portray the reality of society without knowing the most minute details that concern these groups."

Taha Khalil says that what is required is not for the journalist to be neutral, but rather to stand with the Kurdish people and reflect the true reality of the region's peoples' experiences, especially regarding the level of women's freedom and the richness of their cultures, which have not been subjected to global propaganda.

Komas adds: " there is much needed to develop Kurdish journalists to counter biased campaigns by mastering multiple languages, while maintaining a mindset based on the logic of Kurdish society, free from external influences."  

While journalist Sardar finds that the Kurdish people are now convinced that they will not give up on their demands for recognition and rights, in addition to achieving Kurdish unity, the Kurdish press must look at these demands with the perspective of a solutions-oriented press that finds ways out of all the obstacles that stand in the way of the Kurdish people’s struggle for freedom.

ANHA