The story: Thousands of temporarily contracted schoolteachers who have not been properly paid for years—in some cases for up to a decade—are protesting in central and southern Iraq. The teachers are angered by parliament’s Mar. 31 ratification of the 2021 federal budget, which does not offer them permanent contracts. The government and political blocs are now trying to co-opt the protests for political gain ahead of the parliamentary elections in October.

The coverage: On Apr. 4, the London-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that protests were underway in six governorates...