Iraqi Media Network (IMN) is the company that manages all state-controlled media outlets in Iraq. Established in 2004 after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime, the group manages the television stations Al-Iraqiya TV and Iraqi Sports, the radio channels Radio Republic of Iraq and the Holy Quran Radio, the daily newspaper Al-Sabah and the bimonthly magazine Iraqi Network, and Iraqi News Agency. The company also runs dozens of local broadcasters.
Media assets
Television: Al-Iraqiya, Al-Iraqiya Sports, Al-Iraqiya News
Radio: Republic of Iraq Radio
Print media: Al-Sabah, IMN Magazine
News agency: Iraqi News Agency
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
IMN was established in 2004 as the successor to the Iraqi Radio and Television Corporation, the state-controlled broadcaster run by Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath regime.
The 2015 Law on IMN created a new legal framework for regulating the outlet. This law established the broadcast group as an entity with legal personality subordinated to the Council of Representatives, Iraq’s unicameral parliament.
The highest governance structure at IMN is its Board of Trustees, which consists of nine non-executive members. The board members are appointed by parliament, yet from a list of candidates selected by the Cabinet of Ministers. The IMN President is appointed by the Board. Any citizen of the country who fulfills the conditions for membership required by the law can apply for a spot on the board.
The Coordination Framework, the top political coalition of Iran-backed militias, has a de facto majority on the IMN’s Board. In February 2024, the Council of Ministers appointed five new board members, three of whom represent the terrorist groups and militias that control the Coordination Framework.
Source of funding and budget
According to the IMN Law (see Control of Governing Structures and Ownership below), the company is funded through a combination of government budget subsidies, advertising, sales of broadcast rights, fees from the rental of broadcast facilities and revenues from the operation of the state-owned printing presses. Official data about IMN’s budget is not available.
According to media articles, the company had a budget of US$ 70m in 2019. According to journalists and experts who follow the Iraqi press, at least 80% of the IMN’s budget comes from the government. In recent years, however, IMN has faced massive cuts in their state subsidy, which has led to profound financial crises that very often jeopardize the company’s operations. More recent estimates from 2024 put the IMN’s budget at US$ 75m. The group has a total staff of 3,500.
Editorial independence
IMN has always been under various forms of control. Operated under a different name until 2003, its media had served as government mouthpieces in the service of the Hussein regime. After 2003, the U.S. Administration began funding the IMN group, which adopted an editorial line clearly supportive of the U.S. government. IMN has been openly supportive of the Iraqi government in recent years, according to experts and journalists who have experience covering Iraqi media. Journalists who publicly criticize the government (even outside their job at IMN) risk losing their jobs.
The IMN law has several provisions requiring its media outlets to ensure editorial independence. However, it is practically impossible for the IMN-run media to remain independent as the government controls their editorial line.
During the latest round of research, no independent assessment/oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of IMN’s media outlets was identified.
July 2024