Rudaw coverage of Hamdaniya fire most viewed among ENEX partners

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Rudaw’s footage of the tragic fire in Iraq’s Hamdaniya district in 2023 was the most viewed after being used by Rudaw’s partners in the European News Exchange (ENEX), data shows. 

According to data shared by ENEX, one of Rudaw’s videos of the Hamdaniya fire received the highest digital engagement, receiving nearly eight millions hits, after being shared by ENEX members. 

Over 130 people died late last year after a wedding inferno in Hamdaniya - one of Iraq’s only Christian-majority districts, located in the Nineveh Plains near Mosul, a historic Assyrian region. 

Rudaw intensively covered the incident from the beginning of fire and shared extensive footage with its ENEX partners.

ENEX was founded in 1993 and has 57 members. 

The news exchange association on Thursday held a two-day Editorial Coordinators Meeting at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels. 

A Rudaw team also attended the annual meeting which focused on the European Parliament elections in June and the legislature’s plan for the coverage of the event. 

Several officials from the European Parliament gave presentations to ENEX members regarding the legislature’s plan for media and how it is trying to fight misinformation and disinformation, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence. The official said they are introducing laws that will regulate the usage of AI and give more freedom to media.

The Rudaw team also took part in the parliamentary spokesperson Jaume Duch Guillot’s press briefing. 

Answering a question asked by the team, the spokesperson said they treat foreign media the same as local media when it comes to the coverage of the upcoming polls.

The parliament and ENEX signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will facilitate the work of the news exchange association’s members when covering the elections. 

Rudaw team also introduced Zahawy Music House to its ENEX partners, highlighting its cultural and musical importance as well as plans to help musical groups around the world to perform on top of the Erbil’s historical citadel. 

The ENEX partners were impressed by the work of the house and expressed their readiness to help further develop the unprecedented project.