It took eight months for the Iraqi government to finally reach an agreement on a power-sharing deal. The war torn country is notoriously factionalised with a population divided by politics and religion and plagued by sectarian violence. These divisions were very evident in the Iraqi media's coverage in the lead up to the election. In an effort to deal with the media cacophony, the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission - set up in 2004 - entered the fray. When the commission started threatening to shut down outlets that incited hatred, many journalists in the country were left unsure of exactly what they could and could not say. This week, The Listening Post looks at the media's role in the lead up to the election, what it may be like under the new power-sharing agreement and whether or not it will be able to put aside its differences without being censored.
