Above, an interviewer surveys a man in Karbala, Iraq, one of the 2,212 interviews conducted in the country for the ABC News / USA Today / BBC / ARD German TV poll.
Quoting the press release: “In the fifth installment of the Emmy Award-winning series ‘Iraq: Where Things Stand,’ ABC News will report extensively on how the country and its people are faring four years after the US-led invasion. On- and off-air reporters were dispatched to nearly two dozen cities and towns across the country, and ABC News commissioned an exclusive, national public opinion poll of more than 2,000 Iraqis. ‘Iraq: Where Things Stand’ will begin airing across ABC News’ broadcasts and platforms beginning Sunday, March 18.”
Click continued to read the full announcement…
Press release:
“In the three and a half years ABC News has been seeking to do comprehensive reports on where things stand in Iraq, understanding the situation has never been more difficult or important. I am extremely proud of the courage and resourcefulness my colleagues have shown in putting together this remarkable set of reports,†said David Westin, president of ABC News.
The centerpiece of the series is a nationwide public opinion poll of more than 2,000 Iraqis, conducted for ABC News and its partners USA TODAY, the BBC, and the German television network ARD. The nationally representative survey (+/- 2.5%) conducted in more than 450 locations around the country, offers a rare and fascinating look at Iraqis’ attitudes about the ongoing war and their quality of life. It measures Iraqis’ views on many of the most pressing issues – sectarian violence, political gridlock, the role of the United States, the new “surge†of US forces, and the role of Iran – as well as Iraqis’ hopes and fears for the future. At a time when American public opinion has turned against the war, this survey explores its impact from another perspective – that of ordinary Iraqis living with the aftermath of the 2003 invasion.
ABC News’ Terry McCarthy, who leads the news division’s on-air reporting for the series, traveled throughout Iraq to complement his reporting in and around Baghdad. McCarthy spoke with dozens of Iraqis, including a number who were profiled in previous installments of the series, to examine everyday life in different parts of the country. McCarthy has reported extensively throughout the country since the start of the war, giving his current “Iraq: Where Things Stand†reporting historical perspective.
Reports from “Iraq: Where Things Stand†will begin airing on Sunday, March 18 on the weekend edition of “Good Morning America†and will continue throughout the week on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,†“World News Sunday,†“Good Morning America,†“World News with Charles Gibson,†and “Nightline.†The series will also be featured on ABC News Radio, ABCNEWS.com, and ABC News Now. Results from the poll will be released on Monday, March 19.
USA TODAY, ABC News’ print partner for the series, will have coverage in Monday and Tuesday’s editions of the newspaper, including poll results, analysis, graphics and vignettes.
This marks ABC News’ fifth installment in the comprehensive “Iraq: Where Things Stand†series. ABC News first broadcast the series in November 2003, marking the six-month anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. Other installments aired on the one-year anniversary of the war in March 2004, on the eve of Iraq’s first election in January 2005, and in December 2005. The series has been recognized with four Emmy Awards.