Television and development in Iraq: aspects of government policy with special reference to the effect of television on two Iraqi villages

Abstract

This study tries to examine the contribution of television broadcasting to development in Iraq. In most Third World countries (including Iraq), expectations and hopes that the use of the mass media might accelerate or aid development programmes and processes have been entertained for the past thirty years.
This study has been divided into ten chapters. The first chapter is an introduction. The second chapter is a review of the main theoretical approaches to communication and development goals; the contribution of television to development and a brief comparison between two other developing countries. Chapter three characterizes the main features of population trends i Iraq in so far as they relate to the extent of popular participation in the development process. Chapter four discusses agriculture, oil and industry and their basic material development. Chapter five examines the infrastructure of development: education, health, and popular organizations. Chapter six, discusses communication policy in Iraq with the emphasis on television policy to reveal the contributory role of television to development. Chapter seven, discusses the development of Iraqi television, its administrative system and budget; the instrumental capacity of television. Chapter eight, examines the role of the Iraqi government in popularizing television and establishing television services. Available television sets in rural areas made it possible to conduct field studies. Chapter nine reveals the efforts of television programmes in two villages in Iraq. Chapter ten concludes the study with results.