Iran’s TV censors draw ridicule, protests
Saeid Jafari,
Al monitor, April 25, 2018
The
Iranian state broadcaster’s censorship style reached new heights of ridicule
and criticism when it blurred an Italian soccer team’s logo.
Iranian state broadcaster’s censorship style reached new heights of ridicule
and criticism when it blurred an Italian soccer team’s logo.
 |
| ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images. An Iranian woman watches the presidential candidates at a live debate on Iranian state TV, Tehran, Iran, April 28, 2017. |
Censorship
is nothing new for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB),
but particularly awkward editing has recently brought the
state broadcaster international ridicule.
The
censoring of sports events and movies is common on Iranian television. Iranian
viewers have grown accustomed to shots of the audience being cut
from live coverage of sports competitions. But IRIB made world
headlines when it meddled with an Italian soccer club’s logo during
its live coverage of UEFA Champions League soccer. While covering the April 4
quarter final game between AS Roma and FC Barcelona, IRIB producers decided to
blur out a section of Roma’s iconic logo of a she-wolf suckling twins.
censoring of sports events and movies is common on Iranian television. Iranian
viewers have grown accustomed to shots of the audience being cut
from live coverage of sports competitions. But IRIB made world
headlines when it meddled with an Italian soccer club’s logo during
its live coverage of UEFA Champions League soccer. While covering the April 4
quarter final game between AS Roma and FC Barcelona, IRIB producers decided to
blur out a section of Roma’s iconic logo of a she-wolf suckling twins.
The
initial wave of reactions in the domestic Iranian media soon went global.
Even AS Roma poked
fun at Iranian state TV on Twitter April 5.
initial wave of reactions in the domestic Iranian media soon went global.
Even AS Roma poked
fun at Iranian state TV on Twitter April 5.
It was
hardly the first time that IRIB has made headlines with its peculiar censorship
methods. Female fans with outfits
deemed un-Islamic have been cut from live volleyball coverage for years. The
cuts are sometimes so frequent that viewers are left practically
incapable of following games. These censorship practices have been a constant
topic of criticism as well as jokes over Persian-language social media.
hardly the first time that IRIB has made headlines with its peculiar censorship
methods. Female fans with outfits
deemed un-Islamic have been cut from live volleyball coverage for years. The
cuts are sometimes so frequent that viewers are left practically
incapable of following games. These censorship practices have been a constant
topic of criticism as well as jokes over Persian-language social media.
IRIB’s
selective programming also has a security dimension, sparking
street protests with controversial programming choices. “Kolah
Ghermezi” is a popular children’s program that traditionally airs
during Nowruz, the Iranian new year holiday season. One of this year’s episodes,
which aired on March 22, introduced the traditional clothing worn in
different regions of Iran with dolls representing the different ethnic
minorities placed on various locations on a map of Iran. The doll used to
represent the traditional clothing worn in the southwestern province of Khuzestan wore a dress
belonging to the Bakhtiari tribe, with no reference to the attire of the
province’s large ethnic Arab population. The show triggered a wave of street
protests in Khuzestan, with ethnic Arabs demanding an apology from
the state broadcaster for its lack of attention to their ethnicity and
excluding them from the map. The protests began on March 27, five days after
the show aired, and continued until March 31. The Arab media, especially the
Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya,
extensively covered the protests. Khuzestan resident Nima
Noroozi tweeted March 29, “The stupid IRIB
gives excuses to [Arab] separatists, and some [who think their honor
has been offended] are fooled by their [the separatists] evil intentions.”
selective programming also has a security dimension, sparking
street protests with controversial programming choices. “Kolah
Ghermezi” is a popular children’s program that traditionally airs
during Nowruz, the Iranian new year holiday season. One of this year’s episodes,
which aired on March 22, introduced the traditional clothing worn in
different regions of Iran with dolls representing the different ethnic
minorities placed on various locations on a map of Iran. The doll used to
represent the traditional clothing worn in the southwestern province of Khuzestan wore a dress
belonging to the Bakhtiari tribe, with no reference to the attire of the
province’s large ethnic Arab population. The show triggered a wave of street
protests in Khuzestan, with ethnic Arabs demanding an apology from
the state broadcaster for its lack of attention to their ethnicity and
excluding them from the map. The protests began on March 27, five days after
the show aired, and continued until March 31. The Arab media, especially the
Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya,
extensively covered the protests. Khuzestan resident Nima
Noroozi tweeted March 29, “The stupid IRIB
gives excuses to [Arab] separatists, and some [who think their honor
has been offended] are fooled by their [the separatists] evil intentions.”
While
Reformists in Iran have been critical of the IRIB management for years, the
state broadcaster’s controversial practices have now even sparked reactions
from Principlists. In a March 31 editorial, the conservative website Tabnak, which is close to
former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and Expediency Council
Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, criticized IRIB’S approach as “divisive” and
producing “neither the first nor the last” of such errors. But
why does the Iranian state broadcaster create such trouble for itself and the
entire Islamic Republic? The answer seems to be poor management
making hasty decisions without considering the consequences.
Reformists in Iran have been critical of the IRIB management for years, the
state broadcaster’s controversial practices have now even sparked reactions
from Principlists. In a March 31 editorial, the conservative website Tabnak, which is close to
former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and Expediency Council
Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, criticized IRIB’S approach as “divisive” and
producing “neither the first nor the last” of such errors. But
why does the Iranian state broadcaster create such trouble for itself and the
entire Islamic Republic? The answer seems to be poor management
making hasty decisions without considering the consequences.
In a
Jan. 2 editorial, conservative journalist Mohammad Mohajeri wrote,
“IRIB’s media literacy and quality of human resources and management
are much lower than the average of other media outlets in the country. Thanks
to the constitution, it has no real competition, as the facilities made
available to all other media outlets in the country do not equal a tenth of
what IRIB has.” He added that considering the legally enforced lack of
competition, its poor quality should be no surprise.
Jan. 2 editorial, conservative journalist Mohammad Mohajeri wrote,
“IRIB’s media literacy and quality of human resources and management
are much lower than the average of other media outlets in the country. Thanks
to the constitution, it has no real competition, as the facilities made
available to all other media outlets in the country do not equal a tenth of
what IRIB has.” He added that considering the legally enforced lack of
competition, its poor quality should be no surprise.
The state
broadcaster, which is critical of the moderate administration of President
Hassan Rouhani and the Reformists, has long enjoyed this monopoly in
Iran. However, with the expansion of access to mass media, satellite TV
stations and the internet, this monopoly has begun to dissipate somewhat.
broadcaster, which is critical of the moderate administration of President
Hassan Rouhani and the Reformists, has long enjoyed this monopoly in
Iran. However, with the expansion of access to mass media, satellite TV
stations and the internet, this monopoly has begun to dissipate somewhat.
On April
22, the secretary of parliament’s
cultural commission announced that IRIB will become responsible for licensing
and regulating radio and television online. Companies producing such
material will reportedly have to pay half of their revenue to the state
broadcaster, in effect enhancing IRIB’s monopoly since all online video
content would need its permission. The move was immediately contested by
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari
Jahromi, who tweeted April 22, “This plan is a
large obstacle” to content provision in the national
information network. After the details of the plan surfaced, opposition to the
move emerged within parliament. Member Mohammad Ali Vakili reportedly
said April 23 that the cultural commission’s decision will
be contested.
22, the secretary of parliament’s
cultural commission announced that IRIB will become responsible for licensing
and regulating radio and television online. Companies producing such
material will reportedly have to pay half of their revenue to the state
broadcaster, in effect enhancing IRIB’s monopoly since all online video
content would need its permission. The move was immediately contested by
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari
Jahromi, who tweeted April 22, “This plan is a
large obstacle” to content provision in the national
information network. After the details of the plan surfaced, opposition to the
move emerged within parliament. Member Mohammad Ali Vakili reportedly
said April 23 that the cultural commission’s decision will
be contested.
