Rudaw Media Network (Kurdish: تۆڕی میدیاییی ڕووداو, romanized: Tora Medyayî ya Rûdaw), is a major media broadcaster in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.[2][3][4]
Rudaw Media Network, headquartered in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, operates as a global media powerhouse with correspondents strategically positioned across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
This multi-faceted media outlet delivers content in various languages, including English, Kurdish, Arabic, and Turkish.[5]
History
Rudaw Media Network originated as a weekly print newspaper distributed in the Kurdistan Region and Europe, the network initially garnered international attention through its European edition, catering to the burgeoning diaspora communities of that era. In a noteworthy commitment to environmental sustainability, Rudaw transitioned from print to a fully digital format, discontinuing its newspaper publication.
The network's diverse portfolio includes a weekly newspaper in the Sorani dialect, boasting a circulation of 3,000, a Kurmanji version circulated in Europe, a comprehensive website available in Kurdish, English, Arabic, and Turkish, and a satellite TV station. Rudaw Media Network is funded and supported by Rudaw Company, with a primary mission to disseminate news and information concerning Kurdistan and the broader Middle East region.
In the present day, Rudaw Media Network has expanded its reach to include a radio news channel broadcasting on shortwave throughout the Middle East. Furthermore, its live stream is accessible to global audiences online. Notably, in 2023, the network introduced its podcast portal, featuring a diverse array of podcasts spanning topics such as culture, news, politics, economics, and technology.
Rudaw Research Center
Rudaw Research Center is headquartered in Erbil city, and was launched in 2016.[6] It has partnered with various institutions such as the Wilson Center for Middle East,[7] JSTOR,[8] Seed Foundation, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Vision Education and several international institutions.[9]
It hosts the annual Erbil Forum, bringing together a wide-ranging network of policymakers, decision makers and academics alike to discuss pertinent issues.
Awards
Rudaw’s digital portal is the recipient of multiple awards, including the prestigious recognition by World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers for extending its reach to 100 million engagement on social media in 2017.[10]
For her outstanding work at Rudaw Media Network, Shahyan Tahseen was recognized as one of the "Highly Commended Rising Stars" by the global media network FIPP at their world congress in Las Vegas, USA.[12] FIPP has more than 500 member companies in over 60 countries, and the award recognized "outstanding work in the global media industry.[13]
In 2023, Rudaw Media Network won the International Business Awards' Gold Stevie Award for medium-sized media and entertainment company of the year, in recognition of its exceptional achievements in the realm of media.[14]
For the outstanding contribution in raising awareness on autism within Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and being a force for good, Rudaw Media Network received an official certificate of recognition from the American Society for Autism in 2023.[15]
Turkey removed three television channels based in the Kurdistan Region, including Kurdish news agency Rudaw, from its TurkSat satellite over broadcasting violations during the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum on 25 September 2017.[21]
On 28 October 2017, the office of audio visual media of the Iraqi government's Media and Communications Commission issued a decree, ordering the shutdown of Rudaw TV broadcast, prevention of its crews and seizure of their equipment across Iraq. The decree says that the grounds for this move are that Rudaw is not licensed in Baghdad, and for programs "that incite violence and hate and target social peace and security".[22]
In August 2023, Fawzia Amin Sido – a Yazidi woman who was initially captured by ISIS in 2014 then ended up living in the Gaza Strip – was interviewed by video call from the Gaza Strip by presenter Nasser Ali on Kurdish language Rudaw TV, with her face almost completely covered by a dark Niqāb.[23][24] Other Iraqi media interviewed her father, Amin Sido, and said he was critical of Rudaw's coverage.[24]
