The News Media in Iran

Q. As bureau chief, and given the ongoing situation with Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post, do you ever fear that doing your job compromises your safety? How do you balance your ambitions and responsibilities as a journalist with the reality of the Iranian judiciary? - Liz Perry, Washington, @lizperry06 on Twitter

A. Jason is a good friend of mine, and I can’t wait to see him freed and reunited with his wife, Yeganeh.

When they were arrested last July, I was in the Netherlands. Though it was unclear at the time whether other journalists were also on the radar of judicial authorities here, my editors and I decided that it was better for me to return to Tehran. We can’t worry about things that might happen, just so long as we take the right precautions. This is a topic of frequent conversation between my editors and me.

Q. Has the government of Iran set any limits on what you can and cannot report? — Matthew Doherty, Tewksbury, Mass.

A. Matthew, thanks. That is, of course, a very valid and good question.

Journalists who work here for foreign news media companies are not censored. We are not required to show our articles to the Iranian authorities before we publish them. But after an article is published, the authorities or ordinary people might get upset or claim that our stories contain lies or, worse, are part of a campaign by the enemy to achieve this goal or that objective.

There are many sensitivities here, and pressures on reporters. Not only is the government extremely careful about how it is portrayed abroad, but ordinary Iranians are also very sensitive to the way the foreign news media reports on their country. A foreign correspondent here must navigate a minefield of sensitive issues because, no matter the concerns, readers of The New York Times rightfully expect objective, verifiable information.

Do not forget: Iran is a lonely country where people feel as if they are surrounded by enemies, including the United States. They are as suspicious of a foreign reporter as some Americans would be suspicious of an Iranian reporter in the United States. In fact, journalists working for Iranian state television at the United Nations in New York are not allowed to travel beyond a 20 mile radius of the city. Here, I need a permit every time I want to leave the capital. Tourists, however, can travel the country freely.