ABSTRACT
A recurring theme in debates on Iraq involves the conflict between the Sunni and Shia Muslim sects. The media affiliated with the major Sunni and Shia Islamist parties play a crucial role in these developments, which in turn shape the post-Saddam media. The pluralism of a private media sector in post-Baathist Iraq has been a positive development, yet has also allowed for the emergence of local media along religious sectarian lines, reinforcing the country’s sectarian divisions.
