The State of Digital Media in Iraq in the Face of Drug Abuse

Abstract

To provide a comprehensive SWOT-based assessment of Iraq’s digital media ecosystem in confronting the escalating drug crisis. This qualitative study employed the SWOT analytical framework. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 media experts and senior anti-narcotics officers. All interviews were fully transcribed and analyzed through thematic coding (open, axial, and selective). Internal and external factors shaping Iraq’s digital media performance were categorized into strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to develop strategic directions. The analysis revealed that Iraqi digital media possess key strengths such as extensive youth reach, digital monitoring infrastructures, institutional support, and influencer-based dissemination capabilities. However, weaknesses included the absence of a unified media strategy, limited analytical and psychological content-design skills, financial constraints, dominance of security-centric narratives over health-oriented approaches, and low media literacy among audiences. Environmental evaluation showed opportunities in international collaboration, increased youth digital participation, and emerging technologies, contrasted with threats such as covert harmful content, legal gaps, psychological operations by external actors, cyber risks, economic pressures, and widespread public distrust. Integrating these factors led to SO, WO, ST, and WT strategic recommendations to enhance the preventive and educational performance of Iraq’s digital media. The findings indicate that strengthening Iraq’s digital media role in addressing drug abuse requires a comprehensive media policy, improved health-centered messaging, enhanced media literacy, technological innovation, greater transparency, and rebuilding public trust.