Newspapers' Reactions to Rouhani's Remarks in Defense of the Press

The newspaper Etemad described President Rouhani's remarks as a "Press Law of Rouhani" by extracting fifteen points from his speech on its front page, stating that his "unprecedented defense" of the press would be more compelling if accompanied by constructive actions. The Islamic Republic newspaper quoted Rouhani saying, "The newspaper that discourages the people is anti-revolutionary." He emphasized that the judiciary is a safe haven for the people, stating that when people lose hope in everyone, including the government and the press, they should never lose hope in the judiciary. The newspaper Shahrvand welcomed Rouhani's comments, noting that he criticized recent pressures on the press and directed sharp criticism at media outlets that, according to him, operate against the people's interests using public funds. Amir Yousefi, in an editorial for the government-aligned Iran newspaper, described Rouhani's remarks as "sympathy with the weary family of news" and expressed surprise at the security and alarming tone of some media headlines. He mentioned that Rouhani spoke of the equality of all press under the law and warned about the mischievous behavior of some news outlets regarding press freedom. The newspaper Javan, close to the Revolutionary Guards, characterized Rouhani's support for the media as an "attack on all," stating that he subjected the judiciary, state institutions, and critical media to unprecedented protests. Kayhan newspaper harshly criticized Rouhani's remarks, stating that instead of attacking enemy infiltrators in the press, he targeted critics and reduced the red lines of the media from the system and revolution to the government. One day after Rouhani's comments about knowing in advance who would be arrested based on some media content, the newspaper Vatan-e-Emruz attacked Siamak Namazi, calling his detention a "masterstroke" of the intelligence apparatus. The Iran newspaper reported that Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the judiciary spokesperson, stated that the cases of detained journalists are in the preliminary investigation stage. Etemad noted that Rouhani's defense of the media was "unprecedented" but "professional" and emphasized that the suspension of a press should be the last resort. The editorial in Etemad described Rouhani's remarks as a "press defense" and highlighted that he assured media professionals he would not suppress the press unless it spread lies. The editorial also pointed out that while Rouhani's speech cleared some of the dust from the tired press atmosphere, it should be accompanied by actionable measures. The Javan newspaper criticized Rouhani's remarks as an attack on critics, while Kayhan accused him of failing to address the real enemy infiltrators in the press. The Vatan-e-Emruz newspaper, in a separate piece, attacked Siamak Namazi, labeling him as a leader of liberal capitalism and accusing him of undermining national structures. Overall, the reactions to Rouhani's speech reflect a deep division in Iranian media and politics regarding the role and treatment of the press.