Leaked audio file; Director of Radio Farhang of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting calls for censorship of news about price hikes

A leaked audio file of instructions from the director of Radio Farhang of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting shows that he warns the network's journalists about publishing news about price hikes and calls for censorship of this news.

In this audio file, which was published in his own group of administrators and circulated on social media, Alireza Habibi orders that no content critical of Ebrahim Raisi's government be published, and that none of the presenters have the right to read even critical material about the government from within newspapers.

He also orders strict control and censorship of produced content and public messages due to "the security conditions prevailing in the country due to inflation."

In this audio file, Mr. Habibi warns journalists, especially anchors, to "not criticize the government because it will show that the system is weak. The slightest mistake is not forgivable, and this is a security issue."

The director of Radio Farhang has asked his colleagues to exercise greater supervision over the dissemination of news, given the recent protests and price increases: "Any mistake in this regard is unforgivable."

In recent days, with the soaring prices of flour, bread, and pasta, protests have begun in the south of the country, especially in Khuzestan. In response to these protests, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken steps to cut off the internet in Khuzestan province and suppress the protesters.

In this audio file, Mr. Habibi says that from now on, the deputy director of the IRIB "will not back down in any way, and so will I. Be extremely careful and be vigilant... This is not the time to criticize the government, until the water runs out of the mill."

The influence of the Islamic Republic's radio and television networks, whose director-general is chosen by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has declined sharply over the past decade. However, the IRIB is taking no action to improve its situation and only promotes the official policies of the Islamic Republic government.

According to a survey published by the Iranian Student Opinion Polling Center, ISPA, in October last year, the percentage of audiences who follow news from the Iranian Broadcasting System has decreased from 57.7 percent to 42.1 percent.

Also, the percentage of people who follow the news through cyberspace has increased from 26.1% to 41.4%.

ISPA is affiliated with the Academic Jihad and did not include foreign media outlets in its survey, but over the past years, Iranian authorities have refrained from taking any action to disrupt their activities and intimidate journalists and their families due to their position in publishing news without censorship.

In its latest annual report on press freedom in 2022, Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 178th out of 180 countries in the world. Along with Iran, North Korea and Eritrea are at the bottom of the list.

China is also ranked two places above Iran at 175th.

Source: Radio Farda