🇮🇶 Az-Zaman

About Az-Zaman

Az-Zaman is a daily Iraqi newspaper published by Saad al Bazzaz. In 2005, it was revealed that the newspaper had accepted money from Saudi authorities for propaganda and intelligence work.

Iraq's media environment is characterized by a lack of press freedom, with journalists facing violence, intimidation, and legal repercussions from militias, political groups, and security forces. The media landscape is fragmented and often aligned with or funded by political and religious entities. Az-Zaman identifies as Pan-Arab in its political alignment. A significant controversy in 2005 revealed the paper accepted funding from Saudi authorities for propaganda, which severely impacts its credibility. While a 2007 poll suggested it was perceived as 'neutral and independent' by some readers in southern Iraq, the documented history of paid propaganda and the overall restrictive Iraqi media environment indicate a low credibility tier.