Iranian Press Review on Barack Hussein Obama
Analysis of Iranian News Sources’ Views of the Obama Election & Presidency
Domestic and Ex-Patriot Reporting
Barack Hussein Obama’s reception, as represented in Iranian news media, is quite varied. In this analyses we cover domestic news media (heavily controlled by the Islamic Republic regime), as well as news media which is produced outside of Iran (presumably free of IR prejudice and influence).
If we were to step back to right before the election of Barack Hussein Obama, we would find domestic Iranian news sources’ overwhelming support and preference for him. Not only the so-called “enlightened” journalists in Iran showed overwhelming support for this candidate, but the conservative clergy also included his praise in their weekly Friday sermons. Barack Hussein is an Arabic name, and as such the Regime found vast common ground with this candidate over the other ‘Anglo-saxon—a woman, at that!’ Even before the chain of events that followed the 9/11 Attacks and the American response, heavily influenced by the GOP, the IR regime has long been a supporter of the Democratic Party. This party tends to have soft, if not condoning, policy towards the IR. The choice between these two candidates in the 2009 election was obvious. In fact the only point missing from IR’s Obama critique was his relevance to the country he will be president of—the USA. His only priority, as the IR claimed, was Muslims and the Muslim world. In summation, the irony of IR support as presented in the press for Obama, was that it often crossed political and ideological lines: the “enlightened” journalists favored him, as did the conservative clergy.
One of the most widely-read newspapers in Iran, Hamshahree (“fellow citizen”), overtly supported the streamline support of an Obama presidency until the 5th of November, 2008. Once Obama actually managed to win the elections, it took very little time for the newspaper, as well as IR streamline rhetoric, to criticize Obama as they have any other president of the “Great Satan” [a euphemism for the United State of America]. In one particular article, we read of Iran’s secretary of state, Manouchehr Mottaki, guiding and/or warning Obama of the “new Middle East.” “Reiterating a statement made in the Islamic Conference, Mottaki said, ‘The American government is in need of new Middle-East specialists.’” Accepting what is deemed as Obama’s apology for the past administration, Mottaki implied that diplomatic relations may be eased. However, upon further questioning on the topic of a new US policy in the higher IR circles, Mottaki took the same stance as the regime’s past quarter century, of doubt and caution. “We prefer to wait and see what actually happens in US foreign policy.” Again, the effects of an Obama presidency on the American people themselves seems lost in the many articles written on this topic.
Iranians is a bi-weekly publication, in Persian, for Iranians residing in the United States of America. It is one of the highly regarded news sources for Iranian immigrants—especially those who cannot understand English. Coverage of the Obama election in Iranians was heavily biased in his support. Rarely, if ever, would one find criticism of Obama in the past few months. Most articles mainly focus towards the consequences awaiting Iranian-Americans as the result of an Obama presidency. Generally biased towards “leftist tendencies,” the editorials in Iranians do sometimes voice a general distrust of politicians from either end of the spectrum. This may be easily recognized as a result of the questionable political activities many Iranian politicians were involved in during the course of the Islamic Revolutoin of 1979. (The revolting public, on more than one occasion, put its faith into a figure who betrayed their political allegiances: some would cite Khomeini as an example as well.) The editorials in Iranians also heavily address policy issues regarding the Iranian immigrant community. These topics include visa policies, or even the level of surveillance Iranians residing in the USA may or may not be under, given the political status quo.
One cannot make a generalization regarding Persian news-sources’ views on the Obama election and presidency. However, it is safe to ascertain a majority biased towards the success of the Democratic party, and Obama. Some may find this a natural sentiment to have by a people who think that the GOP only regards them as members of the “axis of evil”–wether this belief be a misconception or otherwise.
