Shafaq News
The year 2025 was a milestone for Shafaq News, marking 12
months of sustained operations defined by strategic expansion and progress in
line with the agency’s approved plan, both in geographic coverage and
professional presence at regional and international levels.
International Expansion and Official Recognition
This year, Shafaq News established a presence at major
journalistic events in US decision-making centers, including the White House,
the State Department, and the Pentagon, a first for an Iraqi media agency. This
achievement reflects a qualitative shift in the agency’s profile, underscoring
professional confidence in its editorial standards and verification processes.
Regional Presence: Establishing Operations in Syria
The agency also successfully launched operations in Syria,
becoming the only Iraqi media organization officially licensed to operate
there. This accreditation followed thorough reviews of coverage standards,
source verification, and adherence to professional and ethical practices in
sensitive and conflict-prone environments.
Recognition as a Trusted Source in Verification Systems
On May 29, 2025, Shafaq News was formally accredited in the
Grok analytics system developed by xAI, earning classification as a “Trusted
Source” for news verification, particularly concerning Iraq and the wider
region. This recognition strengthened the agency’s role as a key reference
within AI-driven verification systems.
From the start of the year, Shafaq News implemented a
strategy aligned with Grok’s quality criteria, emphasizing source transparency,
coherent news narratives, consistency between headlines and content, minimal
corrections, and the ability to connect reporting to political, security, and
economic contexts. Grok continues to rely on Shafaq News for regional coverage
intersecting with Iraq, including developments in Syria, Iraqi-Iranian
relations, regional conflicts affecting Iraq, and energy and border security
matters.
Content availability in both Arabic and English
significantly expanded its use in English-language analyses, particularly on
Iraqi economic issues, regional security, and intersections with international
policy.
Strengthening Strategic Partnership with BBC
A major development in 2025 was the reinforcement of the
professional partnership with the BBC, moving from editorial collaboration and
content reliance to a stage defined by consistent performance, reliability, and
adherence to international journalistic standards.
This collaboration enabled Shafaq News, particularly through
its English platform, to feature in high-standard media environments, including
BBC podcasts and audio analysis platforms, which adopted and broadcast the
agency’s content. The development enhanced trust in Shafaq News’ English
reporting and attracted a specialized audience of decision-makers, researchers,
and political and security analysts who rely on audio content as a primary
source for understanding and insight.
The agency also expanded field coverage across all Iraqi
provinces, increasing exclusive reporting from cities and regions beyond
traditional news centers. This expansion relied on a growing network of
correspondents and dynamic field operations covering Kurdistan, Baghdad, and
central and southern provinces, ensuring timely information and multiple
perspectives.
A professional visual media team produced documented
coverage and field reports, presenting events authentically and connecting
audiences to daily realities across provinces, reinforcing Shafaq News as a
source based on direct observation rather than recycled reporting.
Editorial Output and Publication Rate
By December 24, 2025, Shafaq News had published 30,815
Arabic items, 14,558 English items, and 6,451 Kurdish items, totaling 51,824
original news pieces. This equates to an average of approximately 145 items
daily across three languages, including breaking news, reports, investigations,
and political, economic, and security follow-ups.
This volume was complemented by consistent editorial
quality, reflecting stable newsroom operations under pressure. Distribution
across Arabic, English, and Kurdish solidified Shafaq News as a platform
serving local, regional, and international audiences and contributed to the
growing reliance of automated verification and analysis systems on its content.
Fact-checking and automated analysis systems value not only
source accuracy but also “temporal continuity”, the ability to maintain a
continuous content record for cross-referencing with other sources, which Shafaq
News delivers at scale. Importantly, this output was substantive rather than
repetitive, coinciding with high engagement and reading quality, confirming
that quantity supported depth and analysis.
Digital Performance Despite Technical Challenges
Despite recurring technical challenges in Iraq’s digital
space, Shafaq News sustained a strong digital performance, reflecting both
content strength and audience trust. Year-to-date, Google statistics recorded
approximately 79 million active users, over 239 million pageviews, and a 75.5%
engagement rate.
This performance reflects effective implementation of
editorial strategies and the efficiency of correspondents, enabling continuous
coverage of Iraqi and regional affairs and production of exclusive, high-value
news recognized by decision-makers.
Shafaq News continues to position itself as a reference
agency across multiple domains and as a source of accurate news for a wide
spectrum of stakeholders, from citizens to real-time monitoring networks in
global decision-making centers.
The year 2025 can be described as one of “consolidation
after expansion,” transitioning from establishing presence to achieving
institutional recognition and international accreditation. These
accomplishments lay a strong foundation for the next phase, focused on
enhancing quality, leveraging prior achievements, and reinforcing the agency’s
role as a trusted regional source in a highly competitive and complex media
landscape.
