The story: Iraq is gearing up for its first general population census in 27 years, due to take place on Nov. 20. However, claims that the initiative will fall victim to partisan wrangling have dogged its planning stages. Meanwhile, supporters of the campaign have defended the economic focus of the census questionnaire, claiming that the data will be invaluable to rebuilding Iraq’s battered public services—particularly amid its ongoing development boom. 

The coverage: At the core of the controversy is Baghdad’s decision not to include both “sect” and “ethnicity” in the questionnaire, leading to charges that the census has been politicized by Iraq’s political...