A doctoral dissertation titled “Levels of Iraqi News Agencies’ Social Media Pages’ Compliance with Professional Journalistic Standards: A Survey Study” was discussed at the College of Mass Communication, University of Baghdad. The dissertation was submitted by researcher Fatima Muthanna Hassan.
The discussion committee was chaired by Prof. Dr. Wisam Fadhil Radi, with Prof. Dr. Shukriya Kokaz Al-Sarraj as supervisor. Committee members included Assistant Professor Dr. Nada Abboud Jarallah, Assistant Professor Dr. Falah Hassan Ali, and Assistant Professor Dr. Raya Qahtan Ahmed, in addition to Prof. Dr. Taha Abdul Ati Mustafa as an external committee member.
The dissertation aimed to measure the extent to which the social media pages of Iraqi news agencies comply with professional standards, including accuracy, verification before publication, objectivity, separation of news from opinion, and balance.
The study reached several findings, most notably that news agencies face a range of professional and digital challenges, including the loss of journalistic distinctiveness, declining adherence to professional standards, and indirect contributions to the spread of misinformation due to weak internal organization and limited training in electronic publishing tools.
The dissertation recommended qualifying journalists and administrative staff working in Iraqi news agencies and establishing training programs to develop their professional skills. It also recommended allocating budgets to support technological development and establishing agreements and joint cooperation with international and regional news agencies to benefit from their experience and expertise.
The findings of the dissertation align with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, which focuses on ensuring public access to information and protecting fundamental freedoms.
