Iran’s media system: The need to rethink its structure, independence, and human capital

August 7, as “Journalist’s Day” in Iran, is not just a calendar symbol, but an opportunity for deep reflection on the state of the media institution in the Islamic Republic of Iran; an institution that is simultaneously exposed to internal and external threats and faces multiple obstacles in fulfilling its important task of informing, clarifying, and acting socially.

Today, the media is not simply a means of transmitting messages; rather, it is considered institutionalized activism in the structures of power, culture, and society. However, the current state of the media in Iran requires a fundamental pathology; because the continuation of the existing conditions has not only distorted the effectiveness of the media as the fourth pillar of democracy, but has also faced a crisis in the process of building social trust.

The most important challenges of the media system in Iran

1. Structural Dependence and Restriction of Professional Independence
   The majority of the country’s official media outlets are dependent on government or quasi-government institutions in their financial, managerial, and policy-making structures. This dependence has severely reduced the possibility of independent oversight of power and impartial pursuit of public interests, and has reduced the media from a “monitoring pillar” to a “propaganda arm.”
2. Weakening of the media’s social capital
   The widespread distrust of the public in official media is the result of years of inefficiency in information dissemination, concealment, censorship, and biased coverage of events. This erosion of social capital has removed the media from authority and opened the field to unofficial and unverifiable sources, especially in cyberspace.
3. Lack of a comprehensive system of professional education and training
   Despite the slight increase in the number of graduates in communications and journalism, the country’s media education system continues to face structural weaknesses. The gap between theoretical academic education and practical skills required in professional editorial offices has led many media activists to lack a deep understanding of the principles of professional ethics, modern media literacy, and modern journalism techniques.
4. Job insecurity and threats to the professional environment
   Journalists, as the main human resources of the media, operate in an insecure environment in terms of job rights, psychological security, and political threats. These conditions have led to self-censorship, the migration of media elites, and passivity towards fundamental issues in society.

Strategic solutions for rebuilding the country’s media capacity

1. Establishing a media governance model based on independence and accountability
   The need to realize a professional and effective media is to remove it from the circle of government dependencies and to create support mechanisms for the financial, editorial, and managerial independence of the media. Successful global models show that media independence is a necessary condition for realizing its social responsibility.
2. Rebuilding social capital by promoting transparency and diversity of narratives
   The media must once again rebuild their position as a credible source of information and analysis in society by diversifying voices, avoiding censorship, returning to fact-based narratives, and respecting public rationality.
3. Developing and implementing a comprehensive system of media education and training professionals
   Establishing an effective link between academia and the media industry, investing in in-service training, designing standards of skills and professional ethics for journalists, and training a new generation of digitally-oriented journalists are essential to improving the quality of the media in the information age.
4. Developing legal mechanisms to protect journalists and the media
   Developing a supportive legal system for journalists, clarifying the status of insurance and employment contracts, establishing independent trade unions, and developing guidelines to deal with threats, pressure, and censorship are among the requirements for strengthening the country’s media workforce.

Closing Remarks

More than a reminder of the celebration of a group, Journalist Day is a sign of a historical responsibility placed on the shoulders of the country’s media system. Without an independent, transparent, responsible, and professional media, there is no possibility of accountability of the government, nor will sustainable cultural, political, and social development be achieved.

Today, Iran’s media system needs a serious review of its structure, function, and human capital; and this will not be possible except through political will, professional interaction, and long-term investment in training and supporting the media body.
Rethinking the relationship between the media and power, the people, and truth is not a choice, but a historical necessity.

Written by Muhammad Reza Razmi Kalimani