Interview with Namo Abdulla [namoabdulla]

Namo Abdulla [namoabdulla]

JOURNALISM

What is your specialty? What subjects do you deal with?

I only cover only political stories. More specifically I, as a Kurd living in Iraq, I focus on politics in Iraq in relation to the US world and US politics. However, sometimes I cover stories about regional countries like Turkey, Iran and their opposition groups like PKK and Mujaheedin-el-Khalq.

In which media do you presently work or have you worked?

I have been working as a freelance journalist in most of the top Kurdish and English media in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan such as Liveen, Soma-Digest, Rudaw and Rozhnama. Furthermore, I am an occasional contributor to the Cairo-based IslamOnline.net. In addition, I am currently the editor-in-chief of the online Hawler Tribune newspaper.

Please list a web address where where one can view an example of your work.

www.hrtribune.com; www.islamonline.net; www.rudaw.net; www.sbeiy.com; www.lvinpress.com

What is "news"?

Everything new is news.

To you, what is objectivity?

For me, as a journalist, objectivity is about being unbiased when writing stories and is also an ethical matter. Objectivity is also about distinguishing between facts and opinions.

What is the best headline you have ever read?

Saddam Hussein arrested in Iraq

What headline would you like to see printed one day in the newspaper?

Morality returns to politics

Which paper do you buy on Sundays? Where do you read it?

I usually do not buy newspapers on Sunday, but I always visit the New York Times website to read Thomas Freedman's column on Sunday and Wednesday.

Does freedom of expression end where the editorial line begins?

It depends on two things. First how you define freedom of expression, second what editorial line you mean. If we are ultra-individualists and define freedom of expression as saying everything you like to say, then yes, every editorial line ends freedom of expression. But, if you believe freedom of expression is about saying everything as far as it does not violate freedom of others. Here you are a more collectivist and care about the whole community. Therefore, newspapers should have some sorts of procedures to put some sorts of limit to care about the interest of the entire community which is more important that simply the freedom of an individual. But, after all, most of the today's editorial lines end freedom of expression in either you define freedom of expression.

Do you feel that analytical and investigative journalism is being lost?

No.

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