A master’s thesis titled “Expatriates’ Reliance on Iraqi Satellite Channels as a Source of Information on Local Political Issues” was discussed at the College of Mass Communication, University of Baghdad. The thesis was submitted by Ali Hazim Qasim, a researcher in the Department of Radio and Television.
The discussion committee was chaired by Prof. Dr. Sharif Saeed, with Prof. Dr. Hussein Dubai as supervisor. Assistant Professor Dr. Haider Ahmed Al-Qutbi served as a committee member, while Assistant Professor Dr. Anmar Ghafil was an external committee member.
The study examined expatriates’ reliance on Iraqi satellite channels as a source of information on local political issues. The research problem centered on the main question: “To what extent do expatriates rely on Iraqi satellite channels as a source of information on local political issues?”
The study aimed to identify patterns of Iraqi expatriates’ exposure to Iraqi satellite channels in terms of viewing frequency, viewing duration, and the types of channels they follow. It also sought to determine their motivations for relying on Iraqi satellite channels to follow local political issues.
The study reached several findings, most notably that respondents reported regularly following political issues covered by Iraqi satellite channels. The findings also showed that the leading motivation for following political issues was keeping up with political developments, followed by a sense of belonging and national identity.
The study recommended developing news bulletins, which were identified as the most-followed source, by strengthening analytical depth rather than relying solely on news narration. It also recommended improving political talk shows by adopting stricter professional standards when selecting guests.
