Challenges of reforming the Iraqi economy as reflected by the Iraqi electronic press: An analytical study from the entrance of the constructive press

Abstract

The study aimed to identify how the Iraqi electronic newspapers dealt with the challenges of economic reform in Iraq and the solutions they presented from the constructive press approach. The study used a quantitative and qualitative content analysis tool for a sample of newspapers (Al-Sabah and Al-Mada) for the period from 1/4/2022 to 31/4/2022. The study revealed that the most important challenges of economic reform in Iraq are: (reliance on oil alone as the only source of development and the government’s failure to maximize non-oil revenues) came first, followed by (the exacerbation of unemployment and high rates of poverty) secondly, then (the deterioration of the climate for foreign and local investment) third. While the most important economic reform proposals and solutions presented by the newspapers were: (stimulating and supporting the agricultural and industrial sectors) first, (reducing dependence on oil as the only source of development) secondly, and then (encouraging and supporting the private sector) third. The study found that (48.4%) of the economic issues focused in their written narrative on (solutions and reform proposals). The most important goals of journalistic treatment were: (the developmental goal), then (the guiding goal). While (government officials) and (government academic specialists) were the most prominent (sources of information) economic, as (press report) came first in (press arts) used. Whereas newspaper websites neglected the use of (video, graphs, info graphics, and hypertext) in their presentation of economic topics.