🔻 Censorship on IRIB and the death of Akbar Abdi on the front pages of Tehran newspapers

A number of independent and moderate Tehran newspapers, in today’s issue, have highlighted criticism of censorship of the remarks of officials and of IRIB’s performance, describing it as a factor that intensifies political differences and weakens national unity. Alongside this, the death of Akbar Abdi, a well-known Iranian cinema and television actor, has also been widely reflected on the front pages of the newspapers.

In today’s issue, the newspaper “Etemad” has examined reactions to the truncation of statements by the heads of the three branches of government and a number of officials on television. The paper has highlighted remarks by Abbas Araghchi, who had said that IRIB’s behavior is “not only contrary to media rationality, but also constitutes a serious blow to national cohesion in the face of foreigners.” As written by “Etemad,” the government’s information council has also warned that “the unilateral actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization can have irreparable consequences for national security.”

Atefe Shams, the author of the lead report of the newspaper “Sazandegi,” has also written that the managers and presenters of IRIB, who have “been restricted to a specific and limited minority,” have—by censoring the remarks of the heads of the three branches, stoking tensions and political divisions, and strengthening the discourse of war-mongering—reduced this organization to “a headquarters for extremism.” A headquarters, according to her, whose mission appears to be to increase internal tensions, intensify war-mindedness, and spread fear and despair among the people.

The newspaper “Shargh” has also, in a report, written that what has happened in recent weeks between the Fourteenth Government and IRIB no longer falls within the framework of an ordinary difference of opinion or conventional media criticism. According to this newspaper, the gap between the two sides has deepened day by day; on the one hand, it has revealed an unprofessional and biased performance, and on the other hand, it has turned a media outlet that was supposed to be “national” into a platform for undermining diplomacy and weakening national unity.