The Russian-Iranian dialogue is strengthening due to the closeness of the two countries' positions on most issues on the global and regional agenda. At the same time, the negative image of Iran is largely fueled by Western media, requiring a balanced consideration. Meanwhile, the media of the Islamic Republic itself demonstrates an amazing ability to develop under tough Western sanctions. The history and current state of Iranian media reflect a complex balance between the framework of tradition and modern trends.
The first Iranian newspapers of the secular educational institution "House of Science" (Darolfonun) played a significant role in the socio-political life of the country. The educational newspaper "Kanun" (translated as "Law"), published by the reformer Mirza Malkom Khan, contributed greatly to the Constitutional Revolution. The first law on the press was adopted in Iran in 1907, at the height of the revolution, and was based on the principles of freedom of the press. One of the articles of the Supplement to the law states: "All printed publications are free, with the exception of those that contradict Islam."
The influence of the press on society was clearly demonstrated in 1978, when an article in the newspaper Ettelaat (published under the pseudonym Ahmad Rashid Motlagh) provoked an uprising in Qom. In January 1979, the same newspaper came out with the headline "The Shah has escaped", which became the signal for the overthrow of the monarchy. Today, the print media retains an important role in shaping public opinion, under strict state control.
The newspapers of the official IRNA news agency have the largest circulation. The flagship publication "Iran" has an English-language version "Iran Daily". Among the unique projects is the newspaper "Iran Sepid" for the blind and visually impaired, the only publication in Braille in the Middle East.
According to the latest data, there are more than 1,650 newspapers and magazines published in Iran, including over 70 daily publications with a total circulation of over 2.5 million copies. The most influential are considered to be “Keyhan” (“Universe”), “Ettelaat” (“News”), “Resalat” (“Message”), “Aftab Yazd” (“Sun of Yazd”). Many publications are published in Arabic, English, Armenian and Azerbaijani.
Permanent radio broadcasting in Iran began in 1940, and television broadcasting in 1958. After the Islamic Revolution, radio and television became part of the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the head of which is appointed by the rahbar, the Supreme Leader of the country. IRIB has dozens of channels, including international ones, such as the English-language PressTV (which fell under US sanctions in 2023) and the Arabic-language Al- Alam (Peace). The main radio station, the Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also broadcasts in Russian.
State control over the Internet is carried out by the Supreme Council for Cyberspace and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Among the tasks of the Corps is the protection of the Iranian information space from the interference of the ideological enemies of Iran and Islam. This organization introduced the term "cultural invasion", meaning the deliberate actions of representatives of Western civilization to destroy traditional values.
In 2009, participants in the so-called "Green Movement" — protests against the presidential elections — used Twitter and Facebook (both organizations are banned in Russia) to coordinate. This subsequently led to the platforms being blocked. Remain accessible Telegram and banned in Russia Instagram, which is the most popular social network in Iran. The state is promoting national analogues: the messenger "Soroush" (named after the spirit of religious obedience and order in Iranian mythology); video hosting "Aparat"; the social network "Facenama". Due to the peculiarities of the Internet connection, using VPNs and other methods to bypass blocking is difficult.
The authorities are aware of the role of the Internet in the modern world, so most major news agencies have their own websites. Western sanctions against Iranian media (Fars News, Tasnim, and others) only increase isolation, but do not stop their work. At the same time, Iran uses media for soft power - for example, through the English-language site Irpedia, which promotes a positive image of the country abroad. The site's slogan is: "Iran - the birthplace of civilization and friendship."
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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