Fayli Xelk, "People's File", is Ava Media's mission-driven initiative to advocate for citizens and connect people with government authorities to address problems facing local communities and resolve them. The initiative is a lobbying machine for local community empowerment and government accountability in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Broadcasted within the 07:00pm news hour and led by renowned anchor Hawraz Gulpi, Fayli Xelk investigates people's problems, amplifies their voice, and pushes for quick resolution.
Too often, people face delayed salaries, lack of access to essential services, and systemic neglect — with no trusted channel to amplify their voice and resolve the issues. Our mission at Ava Media was then simple but transformative. To give our platform to people to raise the issues they are facing. Investigate and advocate for their case through narrative journalism. Hold authorities accountable through the power of broadcast, and deliver tangible solutions not just awareness on the issues.
We wanted to redfine journalism in the region, and take it a step further beyond mere reporting of the news. Engage with the community in an authentic way and support the growth of our community, and nourish a culture of accountability where authorities must respond to strengthen trust between people and our democratic institutions.
Our goal is not ratings or entertainment, but measurable impact — restoring stability to families, securing justice for vulnerable groups, and demonstrating how media can drive systemic change. Fayli Xelk is proof that journalism, when mission-driven, can be a tool for advocacy and social good.
To achieve its mission, Fayli Xelk (People's File), employs a unique model of collaborative, solution-oriented journalism.
Citizens submit issues through an online platform or directly through community outreach. Ava Media’s dedicated team follows up on the cases to investigate and verify, and later prepare the cases for broadcast. Then, during Ava Media’s flagship 7:00 PM news hour, renowned anchor Hawraz Gulpi presents the cases — not as cold bulletins, but as emotionally engaging stories told in local, relatable language. We don't deliver news, we deliver human stories.
This narrative approach resonates across all age groups, engages the audience, and turns passive viewers into active participants in the cause. How we report is the first key in our implementation strategy. But Fayli Xelk does not stop at reporting the news. After airing, the team engages directly with ministries, local authorities, and organizations to press for action. An entire team of journalists and community activists work behind the scenses to network and advocate to press for a quick resolution. Progress is tracked daily, and updates are shared publicly, ensuring transparency and accountability. On average, it takes from one day to six monthes to resolve cases. Beurocratic challenges and the changing political ground of Iraq can slow down progress. The mission yet stands strong, through persistence and public trust, Fayli Xelk overcame threats and barriers, and set a new standard for accountability and journalism in the region.
Our key to executing this mission is collaboration:
This model has created a trusted ecosystem of problem-solving — a system where citizens feel heard, institutions feel pressure to act, and results are delivered quickly. The initiative is not the work of one newsroom alone. Fayli Xelk’s impact is the result of immense collaboration; government agencies respond, local organizations support, and communities themselves mobilize.
What makes Fayli Xelk unique is telling human-centered stories, not news bulletins. This is something that hasn't been done before. While news agencies focus on repoting and going with trends to attract viewers, we focus on solving real community problems, tell stories, and following every case until a solution is achieved. We go beyond awareness to create real measurable outcomes. This is why people in Kurdistan now say when a problem arises take it to Ava Media
In just the past six months, we have recieved 550 cases from the community. 240 of these issues are compeletely resolved with thousands of beneficiaries, and 310 cases are currently in progress. We have created profound impact in the communities with tangiable and mesurable outcomes. The results speak for themsleves:
One of the most powerful examples involved a group of 25,000 pensioners who had their salaries frozen for months. After Fayli Xelk investigated and broadcast their story, the issue was resolved: salaries were released, families gained access to urgent healthcare, women and children in crisis received direct aid, and financial disputes worth millions were settled. One pensioner described their situation this way: “We had been waiting for months with no answer. When Ava Media told our story, within days the government responded and released our salaries. We finally received what was ours.”
The scale of Fayli Xelk’s impact is multiplied online:
These results exceeded expectations, we proved that journalism can go beyond news reporting to solving problems, and foster systemic change.