“Child in Journalism” abandons conservatism – Mehr News Agency | Iran and world’s news

Mehr news agency, Culture and Thought Group_ Fatemeh Torkashvand: Although new media and social networks are rapidly opening their place in society, especially its elite layers such as the media and politics, it is not easy to enter and succeed in these media. Distinguishing between font and content with the masses of users and members of these networks actually makes it harder for journalists because the official media is their place, but they are the same on social media as others.

These points are made by Bahman Hedayati, a veteran journalist and one of the current most visited Twitter activists, as an excuse to continue the case of “media activity on Twitter” with him.

Detailed conversation It follows with guidance;

What has been the most important difference between your work in traditional formal media and new personal media such as Twitter?

In traditional formal media, the process of selecting and approving a subject and processing and producing content is very long due to its special nature and is usually top-down. The golden age of dealing with the subject is usually lost, activity in these media is usually a reaction, not an active and elementary one.

In addition, in the traditional formal media, the individuality and identity of the reporter are practically marginalized by the hierarchy behind repeated gates, which practically turns the reporter into an employee.

But in the new media, the opposite of this process prevails and that is what makes it attractive. We are faced with media that are less distant from the personality and individuality of the journalist or political activist, mental sparks become much simpler and faster in content. (Albeit mandatory) experiment with other users to be able to survive in new media.

For me personally, the activity on Twitter and the new media has diminished the self-censorship and conservatism that has crept into the “child inside my journalism” (!) And made me a more outspoken but lonely person! But the important thing that new media do not have is the excitement and usually bright results of the “editorial” brainstorming. Creating new editorials in line with the new conditions and redefining the role of editor or editor-in-chief in the traditional classical media can again weigh the burden in favor of these media. An event for which there are no signs yet.

* What is lacking in new media compared to traditional media? Is there a unique feature in journalism in the traditional sense that is not available in the new media?

The editorial is still the winner of the traditional media. The possibility of attending official forums or press conferences or access to official and governmental interviewees and, of course, more facilities and logistics can be considered as advantages of traditional media, although new media are rapidly reducing this gap.

But the serious crisis of the old traditional media in Iran is that in practice their output bears a boring and sad resemblance, this will be the death of the media, for example, to reach a place where Fars, Mehr, IRNA, Tasnim and even Sada-e-Islami. Have practically one content, one line visible and clear. Be one thing in the end.

If the old media can define and present their philosophy of existence and distinction with other traditional and classical media, they can change the equation, that is, there must be a noticeable difference and distinction, otherwise the integration of these media is better. But as they continue on this path, they only become more rigid media with less impact. Media that can not narrate or does not have the tools of narration will sooner or later be removed from the scene. A media that is not a place for open dialogue has no chance of survival.

* Do you consider your professional reputation to be more a product of your activity in the official media or personal?

This question reminded me of the famous and official sentence that asked little children, “Do you love your father more or your mother?” The fact is that the nature of the media is something like the personality of people, in which various factors play a role. The professional reputation of the media goes back to freedom and fairness above all else.

* In which media do you feel most effective? You can define the meaning of influence by seeing or winning the content you have produced or any other point that you have in mind.

The truth is that I think I have not yet found the effective media I want, the media that I intend to influence or be seen as ideal and correct, is a combination of traditional and industrial! It means combining personal and classic media, being able to speak freely on a professional and formal media platform, among other professions; I would like to resolve this gap and dichotomy to benefit from the benefits of both, we do not yet have this type of media in Iran, because there is still a deep and fundamental misunderstanding with the concept of freedom of expression, because the main decision makers in the media have not yet realized An order is not “readable”, even if it is decorated. The intelligent audience these days quickly realizes the difference between misplaced justification and serious criticism, that the risk of not being criticized, the accumulation of professionalism and criticism, is greater than the harms of criticism, this deadly anger and dipole seen in society is due to these same plagues.

Q: How do you think the filtering of Twitter has affected the form and content of media activities?

Filtering Twitter is the worst showcase of duplicity in the words and actions of officials and it is only costly, a really embarrassing situation! It is not difficult for officials to connect to Twitter, but it is very difficult for users, and of course, it creates an irreparable gap between people and officials. Of course, I have no hope of fixing the Twitter filter. More important than Twitter to remove the filter is YouTube, which is a huge free university. Twitter is now the pulse of politics in Iran, the fact that you have pressed this pulse does not help you at all, the fact is that our media-political decision-making system is still surprised by the phenomenon of the Internet, despite the fact that about 20 years ago Internet learning is happening in our society.

Ordinary people find their way on social media anyway, but with great dissatisfaction, why have we given in to this equation ?! I do not know and I do not understand! I just want to remind the officials of a situation here: Imagine the day when the cities of Iran join the satellite internet one after the other, free of government and filtered internet, the next day, there will be no more henna!

* What is your experience of posting a tweet that led to something happening now in your understanding of society or an external event and change in something? Have you had such an experience in the official media?

Of course, politics is still the most attractive part of Twitter. You may be interested to know that one of my most popular tweets was about the insecurity of a half-finished building in Shiraz and a video of the strange skills of Afghan workers while scaffolding at high altitudes without safety equipment.It was interesting to me that hot non-political topics are spreading rapidly on Twitter. This shows that different strata and classes are rapidly finding and positioning themselves on Twitter, and the monopoly of Twitter by journalists and members of the media and politics is diminishing. Of course, politics is still the most attractive part of Twitter. You may be interested to know that one of my most popular tweets was about the insecurity of a half-finished building in Shiraz and a video of the strange skills of Afghan workers while scaffolding at high altitudes without safety equipment. When I was a reporter for Mehr News Agency, I was a reporter for the Expediency Discernment Council. I used the immediate negligence of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani’s bodyguards about six times and asked him a specific question.

Despite the short answers and telegrams of the late Hashemi Rafsanjani, these conversations were widely covered and have become one of my lasting memories in the media. Or, for example, for the first time, I saw a senior official of the country up close in the first days I came to Mehr (March 28): Ali Larijani! I remember being so excited that with my personal compact camera I photographed Larijani from the door to the conference room with craving and excitement and even took a portrait! It is from a very short distance and the so-called face! So that Mr. Larijani and his companions looked at me with surprise and a wise look inside the idiot!

* Do you think that traditional media will eventually fall victim to the new media or will continue to work by changing its form?

The traditional and modern media have no choice but to interact with each other and change side by side. If the conditions are normal and natural and free, there is a wide range of silent elites in the country who do not yet have a tribune. The media that can become the tribune of this spectrum, regardless of political and factional considerations, will win the field in the medium term. Traditional media, such as news agencies, do not make accurate use of their vast archives, which is one of their neglected advantages.