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BBC News, Tehran
By Roxana Saberi
 As
the international debate over Iran's
nuclear programme has intensified, some Iranian
journalists say they have come under increasing pressure not to criticise their government on the issue.
While not all journalists share this feeling, the government has warned the
nation's press to avoid harsh criticism of its nuclear policies.
At a recent press conference, Iran's
minister of culture and Islamic guidance, Mohammad Saffar-Harandi,
made the government's feelings explicit when he called on journalists not to jeopardise the country's national interests and security.
"In the past few months, especially in regards to Iran's
nuclear file, some people in the press have written the same things our
enemies would say if they wanted to," he said.
Mr Saffar-Harandi was
cagey when asked if this was not an abuse of press freedom.
"This is very difficult for me, so I ask journalists to be careful. I
don't want any of the press we now see on the newspaper stands to be shut
down."
Disagreement
At the same time, some journalists say Iran's Supreme National Security Council
has pressed the media not to depict Iran's diplomatic efforts over its
nuclear programme as unsuccessful or having reached
a dead-end.
They also say the council has instructed the media not to create fear and
uncertainty among Iranians.
The disagreement between journalists and the government has been more over
style than substance.
Iran's
newspapers generally support the aim of developing a peaceful nuclear programme, but some have objected to the leadership's
policies, calling them confrontational.
Hardline dailies generally agree Tehran should never back down from pursuing
its right to nuclear energy, while moderate papers often stress the
importance of continuing diplomacy.
Etemade Melli, a
newspaper founded by Iran's
former parliamentary speaker Mehdi Karrubi, has
called on the country's nuclear negotiators to avoid what it calls
"sensational, populist and irrational slogans".
One journalist at the paper, who asked to remain anonymous, said the
newspaper disapproves of some of the statements made by the new government of
hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"We are not opposed to the principle of having peaceful nuclear energy
or knowledge," the journalist said.
"But I think the change of language that came with our new government has
increased the tensions between Iran and the world."
'No obligation'
In general, the extent to which journalists feel pressured by the government
to support its nuclear policies depends on their ideological views.
At a news conference in February, the editor of the conservative Hamshahri newspaper, which belongs to Tehran City
Council, said his newspaper does not feel controlled by the state.
"If I sense something is not the truth, I won't write a single word
about it," Mohammed Reza Zaeri said.
"It isn't that I promote the position of the regime. If I don't believe
that nuclear energy is the wish of the nation, I am sure I would not write
something about that in Hamshahri newspaper,"
he added.
"I would not be obligated to do so, either, and if one day I am forced
to do this, I would leave the newspaper."
Boundaries
Some other journalists, however, feel uncertain about how far they can push.
They say they feel limited by certain boundaries, even though they do not
always know where those boundaries are.
"This is one of the problems for Iranian journalists: that we don't know
what the red lines are," Arash, a reporter at
a Reformist newspaper, who preferred not to give his last name, said.
"You don't know how far you can go forward or criticize," he
explained.
"I think it's the right of every political group, newspaper or
professional to present the views that he or she has, and society can hear
those views and support the ones they prefer."
National pride
In addition to turning to Iran's
newspapers, many Iranians also watch state television and radio, which
usually report the authorities' views on the nuclear issue.
But some Iranians say they do not believe state broadcasting gives them the
whole story - they prefer satellite television news and the internet.
Still, the government has been largely successful at getting its message
across through the national media.
Some Iranian analysts say local coverage has helped many Iranians see the
nuclear programme as a matter of national pride -
something on which many are willing to support the Islamic regime despite
growing international pressure.
"There are no public opinion polls by independent institutions or
independent radio or TV. It is also hard to find an independent newspaper
that can echo the views of Iranians. That area of government policy seems to
have worked," said an Iranian analyst who wanted to remain anonymous.
"The Iranian regime has even been able to convince the international
community that... all Iranians think the nuclear issue is a national one and
an inalienable right and that if the US tries to deprive Iranians of this
right, all the people will stand behind the regime, and it will become more
popular."
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