Ideological Screening Returns to Iran’s Media

Omid Memarian, Rooz Online:

Nowadays, Iran’s new ultra-conservative Minister of Culture is exercising his hard-line policies on the country’s media. In a speech during a media festival that was attended by conservative crowds, Culture Minister Saffar Harandi declared that to get a licence to start a publication would require the applicants to show that their publication is different from existing ones and is thus unique. “If there are thousands of publications which are all different from each other, then they are fine. Otherwise, even ten are more than needed,” he said, implying that the criteria for granting licences would be based on the Ministry’s determination whether a publication is offering something new, as defined by the government, or not. This is another new for Iran’s media. READ MORE

He disclosed that there were over 2,000 applicants at the ministry, while only 5 to 10 applications could be reviewed every month. The Minister expressly criticised the constitutional right of every Iranian over the age of 25 and some media experience to qualify for a licence to publish a publication, implying other standards not written into the law would be applied, unless new regulations are passed to accommodate his views.

Currently the process of applying and getting a publication licence from the Ministry is very cumbersome and the waiting period can extend to 4 years, according to media analysts. The new Minister of Culture aims not only to transform the quality of the Iranian press, as he has put it, but also to change the licensing regulations.

Based on Iran’s law, any citizen of over 25 who has media experience and has no criminal record is eligible to apply for a licence. For the time being the Ministry’s Press Supervision Committee that reviews the applications has a backlog of over 2000 applications waiting to be processed. The Minister had said in the past as well that he wanted to add “quality” to the media, implying more official controls and oversight. This quality that he talks about is a new phenomenon in the history of Iran’s press, which violates the rights of citizens to start a new publication.

Saffar Harandi believes that granting license to thousands of publication is not a sign of people’s interest in the press when the circulations of these publications are so low. He called the situation of Iran’s press “disappointing”. So while there is no logical relationship between the number of licences and circulation figures, he intends to tighten the qualifications of those who can apply for a publication licence.

Political observers stress that what Harandi calls “harmonization” of the Iranian press and promoting its “quality” are really more crackdowns and pressure on the freedom of press. The “cultural development” that Iran’s conservatives have long waited for is now almost here within reach of the new hard-line and powerful minister. The new cultural establishment has long aimed at restricting the culture, arts and media outlets under the pretext of anti-religious and anti-cultural measures.