IREX Audience Research in Iraq: Citizens Value News but also Distrust It

A market research survey commissioned by IREX has revealed a general distrust of TV media; the highest rated TV network in Iraq was seen as "trusted" by only 33% of Iraqis. This distrust of media in Iraq extends to foreign language media as well with most (67%) Iraqis expressing distrust in non-Iraqi news.

Iraqis' trust in news is not reflective of their interest in news. 75% of Iraqis feel it is important to stay informed about news and current events in Iraq. Iraqis are particularly interested in news about their province and Iraq as a whole; as their country continues to rebuild.

On an average day nearly 16 million Iraqis are exposed to TV media more than any other media source. While television is clearly the medium Iraqis prefer it is interesting to note nationally Iraqis listen to radio as often as they use the internet. From the data, it is also clear the Internet is challenging traditional media. As usage of the Internet in Iraq increases, newspapers will feel additional challenges as a news provider – 68% of those who use the Internet to find the latest news prefer the Internet over newspapers.

The media survey conducted by D3 Systems in November 2009 was conducted in all 18 governorates of Iraq. The quantitative research study was administered by 2,200 face-to-face interviews with Iraqis. The survey was successful in capturing the regional and national perspective on media usage, habits, and attitudes through a comprehensive 130 question survey.

Access to reliable research data is critical for Iraqi journalists to produce trustworthy news that allows the public to hold government and other actors accountable. To address this dilemma, IREX, with support from supported by a grant from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), commissioned D3 Systems to research Iraqi citizens in order to obtain information on media usage across demographic and psychographic variables.

IREX presented the findings in Erbil and Baghdad last week. The research based information is intended to be used by media outlets to improve their responsiveness to the Iraqi audience and inform their sales and marketing strategies. In addition, advertisers intend to use the research to inform their media purchasing strategies. The research is also intended to be used by media development professionals working in Iraq.  

IREX supports Iraqi media outlets, journalists, media managers, and free-press advocates in their efforts to build a sustainable and professional media system.