TEHRAN In order to assess the function of Iran's Student News Agency (ISNA) during its first year, the TEHRAN TIMES put three questions to the Head of ISNA, Mr. Abolfazl Fateh, who has been kind enough to send us his written reply.
Q: Nearly one year has passed since ISNA's conception. What is your evaluation of this new organization? A: Assessing the record of ISNA is up to independent critics and experts, but in our own view, ISNA's activity has been positive and its establishment a year ago was necessary.
In the relatively short period after its conception, this agency has succeeded in reflecting political, cultural, scientific and social issues in an acceptable manner. I believe we have succeeded in probing the darker corners of current political issues. Although ISNA has progressed according to its defined plans, it still has a way to go before achieving its objectives.
Q: The domestic press is suffering from the limited number of publications. In what way has ISNA's activity helped to tackle this problem? A: The variety and diversity of news sources are responsible for greater transparency and efficiency in information.
ISNA has tried to reflect the views and demands of different social and political spectra. Conveying the news in an honest, complete and detailed manner has been our aim. Selective and biased information sets the stage for rumors and disbelief. In many events, citizens learn of their general features, and distorted details are provided by foreign news agencies. It is up to our national news agencies to amend this shortcoming by giving full details of socially sensitive issues.
Q: One of the current problems in the country is the factional interpretation of all sensitive and essential issues.
What do you think should be done to overcome this problem? A: First of all, we must come up with a clear definition of national interests. Some issues have vital importance regardless of different views or political tastes. These sensitive issues and the "dos and don'ts" should be defined clearly by the press and the media. If and when the public is made aware of national interests, political parties will not be able to define these issues with their factional orientation.
If this is achieved, factions who divert from these principals will face public resentment and be pushed to the sidelines.
Another precondition is the need to separate the security-oriented from the media-oriented perspective. As long as political factions are able to obtain information through their links with security forces and use this information in their factional fighting, we cannot hope for sustaining national interests in our media.