Ministry of Culture's Move Towards State Control of Journalism; Journalism Conditional on Having a Professional License

The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance announced the ministry's plan to issue professional licenses for journalists. Critics believe that the Islamic Republic intends to manage journalists through licensing and, if necessary, eliminate them from the media by revoking their licenses. According to a report published by the ISNA news agency, Mohammad Mahdi Esmaeili stated in a meeting with media representatives in East Azerbaijan that 'some issues are highlighted in certain media that are not comparable to the facts, as if two media outlets from two different geographies are being discussed, which is harmful.' The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance in Ebrahim Raisi's government has revealed plans to 'reform existing practices' among media representatives in Iran, stating that 'all journalists' must have a 'clear professional identity.' Esmaeili declared the goal of this action as 'facilitating the implementation of the law' and emphasized that 'we have not been able to fully implement' the law regarding the press so far. The Minister of Guidance has deemed a significant portion of news as 'fake' and stemming from 'low media literacy,' stating that many deficiencies in this area must be addressed in the remaining two years of the thirteenth government. Previously, Ali Farokhandeh, the Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance in South Khorasan, emphasized the necessity of 'organizing journalists' on August 9, stating that this action is underway. Ali Mohammad Zanganeh, the governor of Golestan, also mentioned on August 19 that 'it is necessary to eliminate fake journalists and media from the media sphere, and the organization of journalists as soon as possible is essential.' The head of the Culture and Islamic Guidance Department in Gonbad Kavous also stated on August 8 that 'organizing journalists' and 'better management' of this area requires 'the activity of a consultative team from various sectors alongside the Press House.' Reza Shojaei emphasized that this 'consultative team' could examine the implementation of the 'ranking of journalists' and initially verify a list of official journalists for obtaining press cards and other benefits. Last September, coinciding with the onset of nationwide protests in Iran, the spokesperson for the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly announced the preparation of a bill, emphasizing that if approved, 'individuals who publish news in cyberspace and cannot prove its accuracy and provide substantial evidence will be summoned to court.' Mohammad Taghi Naghdi Ali, a member of the Legal and Judicial Commission, stated: 'According to this bill, publishers of any news that has adverse social effects and harms society, if they cannot compensate for the damages, should be punished.' Naghdi also noted that this bill would also cover 'exaggeration' of news and events, and publishers of 'such news will also face judicial and penal consequences.' Critics believe that the Islamic Republic aims to manage journalists through 'licensing' and, if necessary, eliminate them from the media by revoking their licenses. On the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in custody of the morality police, the International Federation of Journalists published a documentary report on the violation of freedom of expression and the repression of journalists and media in Iran. According to this federation, following the 'suspicious' death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022, a widespread wave of protests erupted in Iran, unprecedented since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. It is reported that thousands of protesting citizens were killed and injured in the streets, and many were arrested and imprisoned. The International Federation of Journalists emphasizes that during this period of media repression, the detention of journalists and pressure on media activists significantly increased. According to reports published by international journalism organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with China, Myanmar, Turkey, and Belarus, is at the top of the global list of the largest prisons for journalists.