The Role of KurdSat TV Documentaries in Raising Public Awareness in the Kurdistan Region

Abstract

This study aims to highlight the role of documentaries on KurdSat satellite channel in raising public awareness in the Kurdistan Region, based on the importance of documentary media in changing societal perceptions. The study employed a descriptive methodology (content analysis) for a sample of five documentaries broadcast by the channel during 2024. The main objective of the study was to determine the extent to which the documentary messages conveyed information and culture to viewers.

The most prominent findings of the study, in light of cultivation theory, showed that these films have the ability to transform temporary awareness into a more solid and stable awareness. The data indicates the dominance of the "reporting" style (73.10%), which helped to form a structured understanding of environmental and cultural issues among the audience. Furthermore, the reliance on eyewitnesses and experts contributed to lending credibility to the media messages, which led to a strengthening of national identity among viewers (61.29%(

Within the framework of the development of Kurdish media and as a leading example, Kurdsat has paid special attention to the production of documentaries. The choice of this channel as an example of the study is due to its academic approach since its inception, “respecting the audience” and avoiding populism, which has made its products a reliable source for building national and cultural awareness.

The significance of this paper is concentrated in analyzing the relationship between “image technique” and “consciousness message”. The main objective is to identify the dimensions (cognitive, emotional, behavioral) that are reflected in Kurdsat's products. Based on the content analysis method and in the light of cultural cultivation theory, the study presents a scientific model that shows the level of balance between the media function and the awareness function, in order to reach conclusions that will be the basis for the development of this media experience.