Iran urged to loosen hold on BBC Persia

According to Iran's own broadcaster, Press TV, Iran's Majlis Research Center has proposed loosening the restrictions on foreign media outlets "working against the interests of the Islamic Republic."

Following an analysis of the tactics employed by the British Broadcasting Corporation's Persian-language channel, the Institute for Political Studies in Iran's Parliament Research Center tipped off the government about its critical approach toward such channels.

Iran has claimed the channel is attempting to recruit Iranians for "espionage and psychological warfare".

"The public is concerned that the establishment of BBC Persian is in line with the intervening and opportunist policies of the British government in domestic affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran," said an Iranian official before the launch of the channel in October.

The report given by the institute proposed that launching such networks would be a large step in undertaking "soft overthrow projects", stating that BBC Persian is more subtle in this endeavor than the US-backed VOA.

The report went on to discuss the recent advances in global technology throughout the world today including the wide prominence of the Internet usage among Iran's youth "in an effort to caution the Iranian government."

"In today's world, a full-scale media war is taking place between Iran and the West," read the report.

The report urged the Islamic Republic to use this opportunity to fight "foreign movements aimed at toppling the government."

Pointing to countless Internet websites and web proxies, the report said, "Preventing the establishment of satellite channels is not an effective method to break the Iranian audience's connection with such media."

The Majlis report called for "the launch of rival channels and incorporation of as much information content as possible" to neutralize the effect of anti-Islamic Republic media.

"The government should not conceive NGO's and Persian-language channels as a threat."

The report put forward a proposal to the Iranian government to grant such channels as BBC Persian the permission to work in Iran, within the guidelines of the country's constitution.

The institute further demanded the government maintains vigilance in an effort to prevent the cited media from carrying out their "soft toppling projects" in the country.

Virtual Tour of Iran

Always wanted to travel to Iran but not so sure your ready to brave the actual trip? Take a virtual tour of the country with online three-dimensional and panoramic photographs of Iran’s cultural and scenic attractions with 360cities.net. The site includes photographs taken by prominent Iranian artists such as Ramin Dehdashti. Visitors can see full-screen images of scenes, change the perspective, see them in detail and copy the pictures to their personal websites. Persepolis, Pasargadae, the tomb of Cyrus, Naqsh-e-Jahan Square (Isfahan), Eram Garden (Shiraz) and Dizin ski resort in Tehran are among the countless Iranian sites available on the website. See the article on Press TV.

PressTV Poll: Britains outreach means Hezbollah victory

A two week Press TV reader poll asked "What is your opinion about UK officials signaling willingness to hold talks with Hezbollah?" The reader's response suggested that viewers felt that Britain's willingness to hold talks with Hezbollah is an indication of the resistance's success in the region.

Of the 5991 respondents, 34.47 percent said it show Hezbollah success; 30.21 percent said that the talks would be in the interests of the UK and Hezbollah; 19.21 percent said that the UK is seeking to convince Hezbollah to abandon its policy of resistance and 16.11 percent said that such talks would bear no fruit.

On March 7, UK Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell told MPs that the government would authorize "carefully selected" contacts with the political wing of Hezbollah, which is represented in the Lebanese parliament.

Hezbollah welcomed the change in Britain's tone and its interest in holding talks with the resistance group saying, "This policy revision is a step in the right direction and we shall see how it translates in practical terms."

The decision marks a significant change in Britain's policy, which has shunned contact with Hezbollah since 2005 due to its anti-Israeli stance. The policy shift will also distance London from Washington's position toward the Islamic group, which it has listed as a terrorist organization.

Bias Found in VOA Broadcasts to Iran

According to Nicholas Kralev's Washington Times article, the State Department investigation has found serious flaws in Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts to Iran. The report charged VOA's Persian News Network (PNN) broadcasts of being politically biased.

Apparently, none of the executive producers even understand Farsi, which means its broadcasts are "aired without high-level approval."

"In part because of the language issue, managing editors report not to the executive producer of their show, but to a Persian-speaking senior executive editor," the report said." This arrangement is the source of confusion and sometimes of conflict. Lacking the language of the programs they oversee, as well as a background in Iranian affairs, executive producers must rely on their managing editor to approve the shows' content and resolve differences of opinion among staff," it said. Those differences often result in deep mistrust and "a perception of cronyism" among the staff, "the operation of cliques, and the hiring and rewarding of unqualified people," which "creates ill will and can hamper the employee's effectiveness in the workplace," the report said.

Over the last decade or so, the U.S. government has increased its spending on broadcasting to Iran, allocating $17 million this year alone, as it considers it an important public diplomacy tool to influence Iranian public opinion.

The BBG's mission, according to its 2008-13 strategic plan, is "to promote freedom and democracy and to enhance understanding through multimedia communication of accurate, objective and balanced news, information, and other programming about America and the world to audiences overseas." But apparently some "anti-American content to creep into broadcasts."

"While everyone involved with the operation is cognizant of the importance of VOA broadcasting to Iran, some of those who work in PNN appear to lack a clear understanding of the mission of PNN and the centrality of the VOA charter to their work, underscoring the need for additional training," the report said.

Mehdi Jedinia, an Iranian journalist, said that "unfortunately, VOA Persian is not making full use of the opportunity to reach Iranians and does not fully reflect U.S. diplomacy toward Iran."
The service "could help influence Iranian public opinion if they created more imaginative programming that fits Iranian circumstances," he said. "However, despite repeated statements by the U.S. government that it has no intention of forcing regime change in Iran, these media seem to support Tehran's allegations that the United States wants to change the Iranian government by financially supporting the opposition, imposing economic sanctions and isolating Iran in the international arena."

He said the service features "interviews with the family of the late shah and Iranian opposition leaders" and sometimes "has superficial and shallow programs that come through more as ideological propaganda, rather than professional journalism."

The State Department report also questioned the continuation of PNN's radio service, "given the round-the-clock broadcasts of Radio Farda," a joint project between VOA and U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which is based in Prague.

Mehdi Khalaji, a Washington Institute fellow and former Radio Farda producer wrote that, "Some of Radio Farda's Prague team members are noticeably anti-American, which can be discerned from their language and the news they choose to produce," and "some Washington team members are well-known for their anti-Islamic stance, their opposition to the Iranian regime," and "they reflect their own political views in news production as well as feature segments," he wrote.

Though the report is not all negative, “VOA successfully built PNN into its first full-fledged network in an extraordinarily short period of time,” said the report. “Given the U.S. strategic interest in communicating with Iranians, PNN represents a major achievement in setting up a network that reaches approximately 29 percent of Iranians in Iran," the report said.

VOA's management welcomed the State Department recommendations.

See the full State department report here.

Al Manar: Warming Up To Obama

While Al Manar's collection of op-ed stories writen by Western sources still include sharp critiques of American policy, Al Manar’s coverage of Obama’s recent actions indicate that Al Manar's approves of the changing direction of American foreign policy. The current links to op-eds on Al Manar’s news homepage include a story from Amnesty International criticizing American arms shipments to Israel as well as a sharp critique of America’s hypocrisy on nuclear capabilities, contrasting America’s stances on the nuclear capabilities of North Korea and Israel.However, Al Manar’s own coverage of the Obama administration indicates a thaw in Al Manar’s stance on the US. Al Manar’s coverage of Obama was favorable and at the same time, indicated that the Obama administration relations with Israel are deteriorating while its relations Middle Eastern nations improve.

On Television, Al Manar’s coverage of Obama’s visit to Iraq reported on Obama’s commitment to withdraw US forces as well as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s gratitude at Obama’s readiness to help Iraq. Online, Al Manar's coverage of Obama's visit to Turkey also had a positive tone, mentioning Obama's statements about improving relations with Muslim nations such as "we will listen carefully, bridge misunderstanding... We will be respectful, even when we do not agree." The article also mentioned Obama's strong support of Turkey's bid to join the EU as well as Obama's dedication to a two-state solution.

In addition to covering Obama's travels to Middle Eastern nations and suggesting improved relations with Muslim nations, Al Manar tried to emphasize the differences between Obama and the new Israeli government. Al Manar reported that the Obama administration is ready for a possible confrontation with Israeli leadership. While mentioning Obama’s commitment to the security of Israel, the article also reported that Obama has made it clear that his administration is dedicated to a two-state solution, despite statements made by Israeli officials. The article hinted that relations between the US and Israel are deteriorating by using words that evoke conflict: the title of the article is “Obama Team Readying for Clash with Netanyahu, Lieberman,” and the article also says that the “US hits back at Lieberman: the goal is two states.” Additionally, the article mentions that that neither Obama nor Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have made plans to visit one another.

Another article on Al Manar’s website reported on US Vice President Biden’s warning to Israel not to attack Iran, which featured Biden’s statement that Israel would be “ill-advised” to attack Iran and also mentioned the Obama administration’s willingness to launch a new dialogue with Iran. The stance of the Obama administration was contrasted with that of the Israeli government, as the article mentions that Biden’s warning to Israel was in response to Netanyahu referring to the Iranian government as "sophisticated and devious" in their ability to hide their nuclear program from the world. I believe that Al Manar's coverage emphasizes conflict and declining US-Israeli relations because this is important prerequisite to improved perceptions of Obama for Al Manar's audience.

YOU@Press TV

Along with its new look, Presstv.com has a new Me@PressTV features. With the MyVoice page that poses topics to viewers such;

"On the first day of the new Iranian year, US President Barack Obama sent a massage to the Iranian nation and leaders as a gesture of reconciliation. Iran, however, said it would modify its policies toward the United States based on Washington's practical steps not talks. Are the two countries on the path to thawing their relations after nearly three decades? Is Obama's overture to Iran genuine or is it a tactic to exert more pressure on the Islamic Republic"

Allowing visitors to comment. Another feature Thru My Eyes will allow viewers to most photos on the site.

Press TV is planning to make its web site more interactive and provide an opportunity for the audience to contribute to its contents. The My Voice (Press TV forums) and Thru My Eyes sections which have been designed to allow the web site's visitors to engage in debates and share their news photos will be launched in a near future.

So far it seems more like a soap box for a few enthusiastic contributors but it is clear PressTV.com is hoping that its more 2.0 image will invite more traffic. I guess this remains to be seen.

Cartoons...on IRINN

It is time for another post about cartoons! I have yet to see cartoons broadcast by IRINN while watching their television broadcast or on their online site. However, after doing some research, I was able to find some old cartoons that IRINN had shown on previous television broadcasts. After viewing many cartoons, it becomes evident that the cartoons are mainly political in nature with a negative take on U.S. foreign policy. Here are two of their cartoons, one titled "Bush is Lying to the World" and the other "Media as Bush Weapon":

Nowrooz on IRINN

Since we have mentioned Nowrooz a few times, I thought I would display some of IRINN's coverage of the holiday. Nowrooz is an ancient Persian pre-Islamic holiday that marks the first day of Spring - or new year, that Iranians across Iran celebrate every year. IRINN marked Nowrooz with a broadcast on television and online.

IRINN's online site had a page dedicated to Nowrooz titled "Spring has come", with pictures of flowers and traditional haft seen's (7 S's) in Iran:

Khamenei Responds to Obama's Nowrooz Overture

The Nowrooz ("New Day") message President Obama directed to Iran for the Persian New Year has not been shown on IRINN or IRIB. Many international broadcasters and outlets are waiting to see whether or not IRIB or IRINN will show Obama's message. It seems that it will not be shown. Instead Iranians in Iran will have to look up the message online or on Persian-language satellite programming from abroad, as The Washington Post reported:

Iranian woman Marzieh Masaebi watches a TV video showing US President Barack Obama's new video message addressed to the Iranian people, and broadcast from the Tapesh Farsi-language satellite TV beamed in from the United States, at her home in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 20, 2009. Obama released the video to coincide with the major Iranian festival of Nowruz, a 12-day holiday that marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year in Iran. Iran authorities played down Obama's video message saying it welcomed the overtures while warning that decades of mistrust can't easily be erased. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Vahid Salemi - AP)

Today, however, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei responded to Obama's message. IRINN reported that thousands of people gathered in Mashaad, Iran today to listen to Khamenei. The Iranian leader said that U.S. policy towards Iran has remained the same as it has been in the last 30 years and "as long as these policies do not change, then Iran will not change its policies." IRIB reported Khamenei as saying: "Has your enmity with the Iranian nation ended? Have you released the Iranian assets or cut the sanctions? Have you quit negative propaganda against Iran? Have you ended your absolute support to the Zionist regime?" 

So far, CNN, BBC, and other sources have reported on the Iranian response, citing the upcoming elections in Iran as an important element effecting rhetoric. 

Leader pardons 905 prisoners

A top story in the Iran section of Press TV the "leader of the Islamic Revolution" Ayatollah Kamenei has pardoned "nearly 1,000" prisoners sentenced by Iranian courts. The story doesn't say much more than that. With the Iranian Presidential election coming up, it will be wise to keep a lookout for stories on Press TV trying to play up good things happening in the country so that conservative incumbent Ahmadinijad gets reelected. This tactic is used in the US as well, such as when gas prices go down around reelection time. Speaking of the Iranian election, a new section can be found on Press TV entitled Iran's Election 2009. Not as catchy as the catch phrases US international broadcasters came up with during the US elections but it looks like Press TV is trying to drawn in more world wide attention to the campaign.

PressTV: Obama scores points with Iran message

In a video released today, President Obama sent a message to Iranians wishing them "Eideh shoma mobarak" or happy Persian new year. Friday marked Nowruz which is the Persian New Year.

"I would like to speak directly to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Nowruz is just one part of your great and celebrated culture. Over many centuries your art, your music, literature and innovation have made the world a better and more beautiful place," he said.

Calling Nowruz a time of 'new beginnings', President Obama charged Iran with a new beginning of its own, revamping the relationship between it and Iran. Obama said his administration was committed to 'diplomacy' with Iran, promising to pursue 'constructive ties' with the Islamic Republic. He mentioned that the US policy 'will not be advanced by threats', insisting Washington seeks 'engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect'.

PressTV's report on the message stated that "Obama's direct message to Iran, however, reverberated with the rhetoric of the Bush era." Citing Obamas statement;

"You too have a choice. The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right -- but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization."

According to Press TV, "Iranian officials say they welcome the idea of talks based on 'mutual respect', urging a 'real' shift of policy in the US administration and not a change in tactics." Then the story mentions that "last week, President Obama extended for another year sanctions imposed against Iran under Bill Clinton in 1995."

Another front page story announces that Obama's remarks are "a significant departure from the tone of the previous administration, were well-received around the globe."

"European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he hoped the Obama initiative would "open a new chapter in relations with Iran." France and Germany both welcomed the offer of an olive branch.
'We have been waiting for years for the Americans to re-engage in the Iranian issue,' French President Nicolas Sarkozy said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the message 'reflects exactly the message the Europeans have been trying to send to Iran. 'Russia also welcomed Obama's decision to renew dialogue with Tehran. "

"Although Iranian leaders are yet to respond to the message, an aide to President Ahmadinejad welcomed 'the wish of the president of the United States to put away the past differences. If Mr. Obama takes concrete action and makes fundamental changes in US foreign policy towards other nations, including Iran, the Iranian government and people won't turn their back on him,' Ali-Akbar Javanfekr told Press TV."

Iran Unblocks Facebook and YouTube

Iran blocked the popular social networking site, Facebook in 2006, saying it was "illegal." They also blocked YouTube. But in February, Tehran unblocked both sites. Since then, the site’s Iranian membership has been growing making Facebook is the 10th most popular website in Iran.

28 year-old Hashemi, a member of Iran’s largest pro-reform student group, Daftar Tahkim Vahdat, which is a regular target of pressure from the state, says this has opened new avenues for discussion of human rights and other political passions.

"Given the fact that I’m a political and social activist, I’m also attracted to human rights issues when I’m on Facebook," Hashemi says. "I join causes that support human rights and democracy, or those that protest against human rights violations in Iran."

Iran is known for banning dissenting media.The international media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, states that Iran has the highest number of journalists in jail in the entire Middle East.

"Iranian officials have offered no explanation for why they decided to restore access to Facebook -- or why they moved to block it in the first place. Christophe Ginisty is the president of the French group Internet Without Borders, which promotes freedom of expression online. He says some governments with a history of Internet censorship choose to open some sites not to improve their image, but to gain a surreptitious toehold in an online community frequented by political opponents and activists. "During election periods, as in the case of Iran, it allows the government to give the impression that it is offering more freedom," Ginisty says. "But that’s absolutely not what’s happening, because the first thing that happens following an opening is that filters and controls are established. It means that they reopen Facebook when they have the possibility to put people in place who can control it. Hadi Nili is a Tehran-based journalist who specializes in social and information technology issues. The Iranian government may have opted to unblock Facebook as a way to better monitor the actions of journalists, who have flocked to Facebook in droves. Nili also speculates that the unblocking of Facebook and YouTube could be a way for the government to win the support of young voters ahead of presidential elections in June."

I found out about this via a EurasiaNet. org article. It has not been reported by PressTV. I think it is safe to say that this won't be a permanent thing.

Iran's Top Story is John Stewart

Millions of Americans watched the The Daily Show's Jon Stewart's showdown with CNBC's Jim Cramer but apparently Iran was tuning in as well... or at least the PressTV foreign corespondents. One of the Press TV top stories was reporting just that.

In a series of pointed verbal barbs, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart's funnyman has taken Cramer and his cable network employer, CNBC, to task by claiming they were "in bed" with Wall Street executives and former government officials.

"I understand you want to make finance entertaining, but it's not a fu**ing game," Stewart said during a recorded interview, segments of which aired on Thursday night.

During the face-off with Stewart, however, Cramer appeared contrite.

Stewart accused analysts -- including Cramer -- of betraying average people who trusted financial advisors and poured money into market-oriented accounts for the long term only to lose their money and allow Wall Street to use those savings to generate short-term profits.

If you missed the episode, feel free to watch it here. I wonder why they didn't pick up the story on the Colbert Report, which comes on right after, about Iranian New Year, and Ahmadinijad's involuntary endorsement of American-Jewish products.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

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Hollywood Delegation in Iran, Part Deux!

Here is a report by CNN on the Hollywood delegations visit to Iran, the first of its kind since the Revolution in 1979. It mentions the two Iranian government officials asking for an apology for certain Hollywood films in an interview with delegation member Sidney Ganis - President of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences. Once again, even though television broadcasters IRINN and IRIB failed to mention this delegation or the request for an apology, four online Iranian news sources have reported on it so far: Tehran Times, ISNA, Ayand News, and Press TV.  Perhaps it speaks to distinctive agendas for state news on television vs. online.

"Media and the Economy" Conference in Iran

The third conference on "Media and the Economy" was held in Tehran, Iran on Monday. It was a one day conference attended by President Ahmadinejad and Mr. Zargami, the head of Iran's state media. IRINN reported that Mr. Zargami said that the country is at a very sensitive historical turning point, where certain lagging sectors of the economy need to be strengthened in order to move towards a bigger economy. Interestingly, Mr. Zargami also said that this approach was supported by the Leader of the Revolution (Khameinei).

The overall message of the conference was that political and side issues should not be brought to the table when discussing the economy.  And that the focus needs to be on the economy alone and this is a responsibility experts and of the media. The media should talk about the ideas and opinions of experts, to be supportive and bring attention to the lagging sectors of the economy.

This conference was not mentioned by other broadcasters outside Iran, except for China View:

"At a seminar on media and economy, Ahmadinejad said he believed Iranian scientists possess the capability to do so and called on them to start working on a global economic models based on ethical and humanitarian values. 

'The Iranian scientists would focus on schemes leading to elimination of poverty,' Ahmadinejad 

said, hoping that 'Iranian scientists would embark on the task the soonest possible.' 

Ahmadinejad's statements come amid the domestic concerns over the steady rise of the country's inflation since he took office in summer 2005."

IRINN Coverage of Sudan

IRINN indeed has an English news segment. The English segment comes after the Persian news program has concluded. Among the news covered on the English broadcast (as well as the Persian broadcast) was the arrest warrant issued for Sudanse President Omar al-Bashir. 

The coverage by IRINN of Sudan was titled "Thousands rally in support of al-Bashir in Khartoum", alongside images and video from the protests. Furthermore, Iranian Foreign Minister Motaki met with Sudanese Parliament speaker in Tehran and said the prosecution of al-Bashir was wrong. Motaki said that Iran and Sudan have firm bilateral ties based on mutual interest. 

Coverage then again went to the protests in Sudan and a speech by al-Bashir condemning the warrant and agencies such as the UN Security Council, the International Monetary Fund, and the International Criminal Court as being neo-colonialist.

This coverage was lacking in reporting, as there was no coverage of those who oppose al-Bashir, particularly those Sudanse from that were affected by the years of fighting with Khartoum - such as Darfur, both the east or the south. 

Iran 'safe and sound for world tourists'... and their money

Apparently Press TV is being used to gain tourism investors for the country. In typical international broadcasting, public diplomacy fashion, Iran opens its arms to tourism investors by posting a slew of tourism related stories in order to let people know that Iran is safe and sound for world tourists'... and their money.

“Besides the financial revenue stemming from the industry, tourism can fundamentally change the perspective of humankind from a tribal to a global view," says Iran's president.

The deputy head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization announced that Iran is one of the most secure places in the world for tourists.

"Unfortunately, the Western media publishes negative propaganda against Iran and works to present an untrue image of the country," said Hamid Baqaei.

He called on tourists to travel to Iran so that they may "personally witness the level of security."

What caught my eye, was a story about the number of South Koreans applying for tourist visas to Iran has quadrupled following The Glory of Persia traveling exhibit in Seoul. Another story stated that Iran experienced a 100-percent growth in foreign tourist arrivals until 2007.
It seems that at least Iran's cultural diplomacy is working.

Hollywood Delegation in Iran

                                                                                                                              

It seems that IRINN has failed to mention the visiting delegation of Hollywood actors and movie industry officials. This is even after an art advisor to Iranian Presdient Ahmadinejad spoke out about the delegation and requested an apology for films insulting to Iranians. After watching for any announcement of the visit or the request for an apology on IRINN, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that it will not be covered. A sad realization for a student of public diplomacy.

According to an AP article, "An adviser to Iran's presdient on Sunday demanded an apology from a teacm of visiting Hollywood actors and movie industry officals, incuding Annette Bening, saying films such as '300' and 'The Wrestler' were 'insulting' to Iranians. Without an apology, members of Iran's film industry should refuse to meet with representatives from the nine-member team, said Javad Shamaqdari, the art and cinema advisor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad." 

The article goes on to say: "Most ordinary Iranians were not aware of the visit since state radio and television did not widely report it. But those who had heard said they hoped it would improve relations between the two countries. 'The two countries have tried to wrestle in many ways,' said Mahrokh Razani, a self-described movie fan who said he found out about the trip on the Internet. 'I hope they can have better ties through movies.'" 

I think that the lack of coverage by IRINN displays the clear state line that the broadcaster walks. It is interesting, though, that the Iranian film industry and Hollywood delegation have met and carried on their meetings and seminars - even when Shamaqdari (art and cinema advisor to Ahmadinejad) said there should be an apology and and a refusal to meet. It reveals the inner complexities within Iran, such as the divergences between Iranians themselves and government rhetoric.

Furthermore, an interesting report on the "Iranian art boom" was recently shown on CNN on February 27, 2009 that discusses what's really going on in Iran's art scene: 

Another Persian Language International Broadcaster

Press TV reported that Afghan President Hamid Karzai offered Iran a joint media satellite.

“The Afghan president called for the development of cooperation between the two countries' media to exchange experiences.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tajikistan's Emomali Rahmon, and Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai are said to join on March 21st in a meeting of “Persian speaking countries.” The three countries are said to be working on the launch of a television channel dedicated to the broadcast of programs in Persian, “providing an authentic source of information for all interested in the culture.”

“One of the most important duties of the independent regional media is to confront western media for censoring real news in eastern countries" explained head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Ezzatollah Zarghami.

The three also agreed to "increase reciprocal economic, security, and political ties, and to further discuss the creation of a Persian-speaking union."

Not so subtle: Iran's International Urban Film Festival to Screen TWENTY Katrina films

Press TV is reporting that Iran's third International Urban Film Festival, which runs from March 2 to March 7, will include 20 films on Hurricane Katrina, including Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke, Ashley Hunt's I Won't Drown on the Levees and "controversial filmmaker Scott Ritter's Bush Crimes: Hurricane Katrina, which is about the Bush Crimes Commission Hearings and the testimony by experts on the abandonment of New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina."

We all know that Hurricane Katrina was not a high-point for America's image abroad (also, see here), but 20 films on how bad the Bush administration goofed up seems a bit, I don't know, obsessive? Also, very depressing.

I like to take moments like this and think about what would happen if the reverse were to take place. What if an American film festival decided to showcase 20 or so documentaries on how, according to the UN, Iran is the "sixth most disaster-prone country in the world," and that, "for the past 10 years, an average of 4,000 people have been killed and 55,000 affected annually by disaster?" Ouch. Now that I think about it, maybe there should be a few films produced on how there is the equivalent of a humanitarian 9/11 in Iran every year and nobody is really talking about it. Given Javad Shamaqdari's (Special Adviser to President Ahmadinejad) recent demand for an apology for the way films like 300 (where "Persians are depicted as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil") and The Wrestler (where Mickey Rourke battles another wrestler named--also not so subtly--The Ayatollah) are "insulting to Iranians," I can only imagine the outcry that would take place if American filmmakers shined their collective spotlights on humanitarian failures of the Iranian government.