Voice of America or Organized Censorship? Controversy Over Deletion of Reza Pahlavi’s Name from VOA Persian Coverage

A controversy over the removal of Reza Pahlavi’s name from VOA Persian coverage and the credibility crisis at the U.S. government media outlet has sparked widespread reactions.

The Persian service of Voice of America (VOA), a media outlet funded by U.S. public budget whose official mission is described as “independent and professional news coverage,” has faced a wave of internal and external criticism in recent weeks.

These criticisms intensified after a number of VOA staff members accused the Persian service management of intentional and targeted censorship of news related to Reza Pahlavi, a figure who has played a central role in calling for, inspiring, and symbolizing anti-government protests in Iran in recent months.

According to reporting by The Hill newspaper, three VOA staff members stated that “Ali Javannmardi,” the senior advisor overseeing the Persian section, not only prevented the broadcast of images and sounds of slogans in which Reza Pahlavi’s name is heard, but also prohibited program guests from mentioning his name. One of these staff members described this approach as “censorship similar to that of authoritarian state media.”

According to sources within VOA, this editorial policy has resulted in street protests in Iran being presented selectively and incompletely, such that Reza Pahlavi’s role in slogans, calls, and protest symbols has been effectively deleted or downplayed.

These staff members also say that even Donald Trump’s statements about Reza Pahlavi have been selectively presented. In coverage of Trump’s interview with Reuters, portions of his remarks in which he said “I have no objection if Iranians accept Reza Pahlavi” were deleted, while BBC Persian published the same statements in full.

Ali Javannmardi and “Kerry Lick,” director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and overseer of Voice of America, have defended this policy in public statements. They emphasize that it is not VOA’s role to “highlight specific opposition figures” and that the outlet should not become a platform for any particular person or movement.

Javannmardi responded to the criticism on social media X, writing: “I am neither a spokesman for the opposition nor its opponent.” He also emphasized that his commitment is not to individuals, but to the people of Iran and what he calls the truth written with blood and courage in the streets.

However, critics argue that the issue is not support for or opposition to a political figure, but the audience’s right to see the complete reality of the protest movement.

VOA staff members, who have requested anonymity due to concerns about job and legal consequences, present a completely different picture. They speak of what they call “an unprecedented violation of professional journalistic principles” and believe that Javannmardi, with a clear political background and long-standing opposition to Reza Pahlavi, is using his management position to impose personal views.

According to one of these staff members, even Javannmardi’s job title as “senior advisor overseeing the Persian, Kurdish, and Afghan sections” has no precedent in VOA’s official structure and appears to be an “invented title.”

Ali Javannmardi’s activities have also attracted the attention of the “National Union for Democracy in Iran” (NUFDI), a nonpartisan organization supporting Reza Pahlavi in the United States. This organization has filed a formal complaint about his “unprofessional” conduct with members of Congress.

In this complaint, it is stated that Ali Javannmardi has repeatedly referred to Iran not as a country, but as “an enemy,” and has not distinguished between the government and the people—an approach that, according to this organization, constitutes political action rather than professional journalism.

This organization has also pointed to the dissemination of false information, including a false claim about the Iranian army’s separation in 2022 and allegations of Reza Pahlavi’s cooperation with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah, has attempted in recent months to present himself as an option for temporary leadership of the country in the event of the Islamic Republic’s collapse, while simultaneously increasing political support in Washington.

Experts say that for some protesters, he is a symbol of departure from the Islamic Republic and a reminder of a period of economic development and social freedoms before the revolution, although the actual extent of his support within the country cannot be precisely measured due to the security environment.

Despite suppression of street protests, Reza Pahlavi continues to call on people to engage in forms of civil disobedience, including strikes and home protests, and his name appears in slogans and images of protesters.

Accusations of censorship have not been limited to news coverage and have extended to invited experts as well. For instance, “Sahar Tahvili,” who says she was rebuked and threatened with removal from the guest list due to mentioning Reza Pahlavi’s name on one of the programs.

Tahvili, who had been a long-time viewer of Voice of America, says: “This outlet was once the voice of freedom for Iranians living under dictatorship, but today it has painfully strayed from that mission.”

Critics argue that in circumstances where recent protests are considered one of the most serious threats to the survival of the Islamic Republic, censoring an influential opposition figure in a U.S. government-funded media outlet has raised serious questions about professional independence, media impartiality, and its political orientation.

A question that remains unanswered: “Is Voice of America supposed to reflect the complete reality of the protesters’ voice, or is it a selective and managed voice?”