So they executed Saddam Hussein?! The media in Iran

by Meenoo (Iran)

Back in Iran again, I started watching Sattelite TV just so I could get a (semi-) truthful glimpse of whats going on in the outside world. IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) obviously isn’t the best source for news.

IRIB news reports are brimming with local (nonesense) news, US/Israel bashing news as well as odd reports on the world’s longest snake or deepest crevasse (Guiness Book of Record-type things).

In Iran, IRIB offers the Iranian public 6 channels only. One of the channels being local to the state you live in. Of these six channels, I am almost sure that TWO have daily “Documantary” programs. Its sort of your Discovery Channel. Usually not historical documentary, rather nature programs. On penguins, sharks, ants, cockroaches and squirrels–how could we possibly forget them. If you’re not watching documentaries, you’re probably watching endless programs on all channels about usually foreign (/Western) movies and movie making critique/commentary/analysis. . . Clearly, IRIB feels that the public is interested in elongated prayer and Qur’aan recitations, endless football and wieghtlifting, and of course “news”.

The method with which a dictatorship conducts its media is quite interesting to follow. I’m sure there is one communications major somewhere who has researched the topic thoroughly. I’ve studied communications so I’m a bit informed. But more importantly, I’ve BEEN to Iran. So I Experienced “Media under Dictatorships”…

I’ve seen first hand how the Media under Dictatorships is commanded. Its not good. really, it isn’t. To expilcate a bit on the previous paragraph: The first time I came to Iran to live a few years ago, I was surprised at the level of “factoid”/common knowledge people had. The factoids I heard my friends regurgitate were pretty amazing to me. For example, “Did you know the gross domestic product of Iran is x in the Middle East.” or “The biggest rose flowers grow in such and such place.” or “The movie Meet Joe Black is, upon further analyses, a deep survey of some particular psychological phenomena.” I was very intrigued at such comments. I began to wonder where they were coming from.

Back then, I did and still do believe that the Iranian public living under the IR are generally not informed regarding topics Americans deem common knowledge. Nutrition, for example, is hardly a concern here unless you’re losing weight, so its just a means for calorie counting. Health, is definitely ignored. (Antibiotics, Penicilin and Lorazepam are daily routines.) Social Awareness is only mentioned in few particular closed circles of young neo-liberal, artsy-type groups. And even then, its more a blind imitation of Che Guavara, rather than deep self -initiated concern. The list is long.

So how did the people around me gain that knowledge? I consider TV responsible. Television has great influence in Iran. Those who live in the not so developed parts of Iran watch television religiously to inform themselves. I have not seen a single family that does not watch television. It is not really used for entertainment so much as it is used to feed the hugry cravings one inevitably feels living under such a closed environment. Iranian minds ARE hungry for more but they aren’t getting the right food. Just like I said before, TV in Iran is strewn with “science” documentaries, tons of movie analyses it makes Hollywood a religion. Once in a while a very good sitcom takes over Iranian living rooms. There are only a few at a time so almost everybody is watching and following the same program. The sitcoms, sadly, rarely enlighten the mind regarding social matters as much as they attempt to elleviate the stress from a days work. Sports of course has its own channel, which happens to be the best funded and most interesting. The good sitcoms are generally on this same channel.

The News Channel, is Channel Six. It is a 24 hour source of news. Newscasts in any dictatorship, is the best utility for brainwashing–needless to say. The most interesting news stories find their way to the headlines here–same idea as the world’s biggest rose-bud. Then there are a few particular programs I’ve noticed as of late. They are Foreign news/news commentary broadcasts selected with great care. Last night I listened to an interview of some BBC reporter who was going on for hours about how the Pearl Harbour Attack was really an American plan. The US government appearently paid the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbour. I really don’t know how that whack conspirocy theory worked out. What got me riled up was the fact that Iranians consume such information like it was the Holy Book. After all its BBC–even THIS closed society knows that non-IR news is more credible. This nonesense is really gobbeled up like no other. I find it ridiculous, and thats an underestimation.

So the other day, appearently Saddam was hanged!!! Channel Six was airing sports news when I saw BBC break the report on Sattellite TV. About three hours later. Channel Six was still broadcasting sports news and appearently, according to Channel Six nothing of great importance had occured in the world except the latest FIFA brawl!! My personal opinion regarding this lapse in announcement is that the IR still didn’t know what to do with this new change. Should they like the idea that he was executed–after all Iran was involved in the Iran Iraq War (!). Should they hate it because it was clearly something started by the Americans? Should they like it because truly deep down they didn’t mind an autocratic Iraq.

Four hours after Saddam Hussein was hanged, the hourly news decided that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to announce the execution. They announced it in a very normal fashion in the “News in Brief” section. First, there was a news bit about the Supreme Leader, the sign of God on Earth (Ayatollah), Khamenie. Then there was a bit about (our dear leader) Dr. Ahmadinejad (Honorary PhD, Traffic Management). The THIRD piece of news was about the execution. Very casually announced. The FOURTH piece of headline news in short was about a poll, (translated) “The president of the United States of America has again been voted as the most hated character that comes to Americans’ minds.”