Layalina Productions, Inc. | The Layalina Review: "Iran Further Clamps Down on Media"

The Layalina Review

VOL. V NO. 14, June 19-July 02, 2009

Iran Further Clamps Down on Media

Media coverage of the protests in Tehran has been heavily restricted after Iranian officials accused foreign media of playing a role in the unrest, reports Al-Jazeera. The current repression of the media eerily echoes the 1979 Iranian Revolution when reporters were similarly restricted.

According to the Associated Press, authorities have banned foreign media from reporting from the street, and are only permitting phone interviews and information from official sources, such as state TV.

The Iranian government has especially monitored news reports, blogs and Internet reports that are in Farsi. The Guardian reported on June 29, 2009 that Iran has more than 33 journalists in its jails; more than in any other country, including China and Cuba.

Al-Jazeera also reports that Iranian authorities detained Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari without charge. Bahari has not been heard of since his arrest. Although the Iranian government accuses the foreign media of biased coverage, Newsweek defends that Bahari, who has lived in Iran for the past decade, “has always been fair and nuanced, and has given full weight to all sides of the issues.”

Yolanda Alvarez from Spain’s RTVE public broadcasting network, tells Washington TV that the Iranian government ordered the expulsion of her television crew. Alvarez declares that, "we are the unwelcome witnesses… they want to get rid of all the foreign media… the streets last night were full of anti-riot police."

According to the Guardian, the Iranian Foreign Ministry specifically condemns BBC and Voice of America for being mouthpieces of their respective governments and seeking to manipulate the post-election riots. BBC recently confirmed that Iranian officials have been interfering with the satellite broadcasts of BBC’s Farsi-language news service.

Jon Leyne, a correspondent for Britain's BBC news network, was expelled from Iran for "distortion of news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran and… news pertaining to the election," according to the Associated Press. The semi-official Farsi News Agency announced that Leyne was “ignoring neutrality in news, supporting rioters and trampling the Iranian nation's rights."

In addition to the restrictions on Western media, the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television channel has been ordered to shut down its bureau in Tehran after being charged with "unfair reporting." Mohammed al-Khateeb, the channel's Editor-In-Chief, explains that, "the authorities accuse Al-Arabiya of diffusing news that is not necessarily fair from their point of view."

Moreover, according to The Guardian, the entire staff of Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s newspaper, Kalemeh Sabz, has been arrested, demonstrating the increased pressure on domestic journalists. The list of current detainees includes other Iranian citizens such as Ali Mazroui, the head of the Association of Iranian Journalists, Jila Baniyaghoob, the editor of a women’s rights website, and Bahaman Ahamadi Amoee, a pro-reform writer.

The Associated Press quotes Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as claiming, "The regime has been visibly shaken by its own population and does not want to let this perception endure. That is why the media have become a priority target."

As a result of the crackdown on the media, Internet outlets such as Twitter and YouTube have been the only means of conveying information out of Tehran. Yet the use of anonymity by blog posters trying to avoid repercussions makes information difficult to verify.

The possibility remains that the foreign media is distorting its coverage, giving the Iranian authorities cause for concern. Anthony DiMaggio of CounterPunch argues that the press is thus far worked-up over what is only “alleged” perversion of the democratic process until the charges of electoral fraud have been verified. DiMaggio claims that, “a review of the media’s reaction to the election reveals much about American journalists’ arrogance and ignorance.”

He argues that the media assumes the worst of Iran’s political system, before considering the evidence. He refers to an editorial inThe New York Times as an example. The editorial claims that the election is certainly fraud and denounces the Iranian government’s “even more than usually thuggish reaction.”

In addition, the Times editorial emphasizes the Iranian government’s aggressive reaction to the protests and the oppressive action the it took when it closed all universities in Tehran, blocked cell phones and text messaging, and limited Internet access. The Times concludes that had the results truly been “real and free,” the voters would accept the results and there would be no need for the regime to respond hostilely.

A poll of Iran’s electorate conducted, three weeks before the elections, suggests that the declared electoral results may be accurate. The poll shows Ahmadinejad leading by a 2-to-1 ratio, reports Reuters.

Pollsters Ken Ballen and Patrick Doherty claim, "While Western news reports from Tehran in the days leading up to the voting portrayed an Iranian public enthusiastic about Ahmadinejad's principal opponent...our scientific sampling from across all 30 of Iran's provinces showed Ahmadinejad well ahead."

In the current situation, it is difficult to accurately decide the fair results of the election, therefore making it a challenge for media outlets to provide unbiased coverage.

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