Developing a Media Model for Mitigating the Consequences of Human Rights Violations in Iraq
Keywords:
media model, media awareness, human rights violations, consequences, IraqAbstract
This study aimed to identify the dimensions and components of a media model for mitigating the consequences of human rights violations in Iraq. Data were comprehensively collected from Iraq’s media and social platforms, and the analyses were conducted considering the country’s specific sociopolitical context. The central research question was: What are the dimensions and components of an effective media model to reduce the consequences of human rights violations in post-Saddam Iraq? The study employed a qualitative, exploratory research design using the grounded theory approach. The statistical population consisted of faculty members from Iraqi universities specializing in media, communication, human rights, international relations, and political science in 2024. A sample of 13 participants was selected using purposive sampling and based on the principle of theoretical saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using three-stage coding (open, axial, and selective coding). The findings resulted in a model comprising six main categories: causal conditions (macro-environmental dynamics; legal drivers, political drivers, military and social drivers), contextual conditions (ideological deviation; systemic inefficiency, soft repression, political suffocation), intervening conditions (structural fracture; lack of restructuring, absence of promotional justice, lack of discursive consensus), strategies (media awareness and development of media literacy; online platforms, online reporting, online campaigns, digital content production, media networking, media storytelling), consequences (improvement of international image; promotion of freedom, enhancement of civil society participation, fundamental reforms, and facilitation of comprehensive capacity-building), and the core category (human rights violations; intolerance toward minorities, lack of central mechanisms, absence of oversight mechanisms, and disrespect for individual rights). The results indicated that media, as an influential bridge between public opinion and social and political institutions, plays a crucial role in shaping human rights discourse and fostering societal transformation.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Suzan Mehdi Fayyad Al-Shammari, Ali Jafari, Aysar Khaleel Ibrahim, Mojtaba Aghajani (Author)
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