(Jaras) At the onset of National Reporters Day in Iran, the Revolutionary Guards issued astatement calling on owners of newspapers, “In identifying and confronting the weak spots in the regime’s enemies’ circulation of news and reporting, [owners of newspapers can] in this battle impress on them the superior and important power of reporting on [the enemies].”
According to Khabar Online, on the occasion of National Reporters Day on August 8th (the day in 1998 when Taliban murdered Iranian reporter Mahmood Saremi in Afghanistan), the IRGC issued a statement pointing out that, “Journalists are the nation’s overseers, and [they] guarantee an attentive and sincere presence at domestic/international events, incidents and tragedies. They are also key agents in accurately, quickly and correctly presenting and conveying events and realities to the public within the framework of discretion [according to] the nation’s interest and advantage.”
Based upon the Guards’ Office of Public Relations report, the statement highlights what they regard as the “many intimidations from the newspapers, journalists and the ruling regimes themselves to elucidate [what is] in the heart of events and realities by managing and institutionalizing allied newspapers” as well as “the engineering of circulation of news and the employment of journalists trained by Western-Zionist media sources.” The statement described Iranian society’s journalists as having a “very important responsibility” and stipulated that:
“Owners of newspapers, especially thoughtful journalists harboring the Iranian insight of creativity and vigilance, who acquire effective and diverse skills combined with fairness and honesty, can expose the ominous goals and deceptive conduct of [Western/Zionist] ruling powers in their newspapers, and bury the interests and expediencies of the world’s oppressive powers and rulers. By identifying and attacking the enemies’ weak spots in the circulation of news and reporting, in this battle [owners of newspapers can] impress Islamic Iran’s superior and important power of reporting on them.”
At the end of this statement it was emphasized that, “Without doubt the Islamic homeland’s media society is on the frontlines against the enemies’ threats and soft war. With the Iranian nation’s ideas and culture of resistance and defiance which breathe self-confidence into different social strata and individuals, especially the young generation, the West’s media attack against the zealous and dignified Iranians’ independence, freedom, and quest for justice will face a suitable and humiliating defeat.”