In praise of reporters of records amid a war of narratives
Pezeshkian: Journalists are Iran’s frontline defenders of truth
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday marked National Journalist Day by praising reporters as “frontline commanders in defending truth,” urging the nation’s media to resist distortion and uphold the public’s right to know.
His remarks came in a message released on August 8, the anniversary of Mahmoud Saremi’s killing in 1998, the journalist whose death prompted Iran to establish the annual day of remembrance, president.ir reported.
The president’s message set the tone for a day of tributes from top officials, including First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, IRNA’s CEO Hossein Jaberi-Ansari, and Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Abbas Salehi. Together, their remarks underscored the Iranian government’s effort to position journalists not just as news gatherers, but as key players in the country’s defense against media warfare, misinformation, and political isolation.
Pezeshkian warned that in today’s “chaotic battle of narratives,” truth is often forged before it’s even found.
He hailed journalists who held the line during Iran’s recent 12-day war with Israel, saying they played a crucial role in telling the story of resistance, documenting the fallen, and amplifying Iran’s message to a global audience.
"Defending Iran doesn’t only happen on the battlefield," Pezeshkian said. "Sometimes, it happens in a single accurate headline, a well-researched report, or the courage to stand against distortion and despair."
The president also called on media professionals to reflect Iran’s identity “with all its wounds and glories,” and urged his own administration to move beyond slogans and actively protect journalists’ welfare, dignity, and safety.
First Vice President Aref echoed that call during a media briefing, describing journalism in Iran as one of the country’s most demanding professions due to high public expectations and constant pressure.
He praised journalists for navigating a “hybrid media war” with “courage, intelligence, and commitment,” ensuring truth doesn’t get buried under a flood of fake news and rumors.
“If I were a journalist today,” Aref said, “my toughest question would be about the future of Iran’s economy.” In response to that hypothetical, he touted the government’s recent economic reforms, stressing they were implemented with safeguards to protect citizens’ livelihoods.
Hossein Jaberi-Ansari, head of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), used the occasion to call for a revival of the national media’s standing.
He urged a shift toward “professional and effective” journalism that re-engages audiences both inside and outside the country. Citing the deepening regional shifts and geopolitical turbulence, he advocated tighter coordination between Iran’s diplomacy, media, defense, and economic messaging strategies.
“The mission is national,” Jaberi-Ansari wrote in a statement, “and the media’s role is essential in steering the ship of Iran’s interests through the storm.”
Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Abbas Salehi, in his message, honored the media as the “tireless eyes of society” and emphasized the growing weight of journalists’ responsibilities in protecting truth, countering fake narratives, and nurturing public trust.
“Every word matters, every omission counts,” Salehi said. “With professionalism and an unwavering commitment to Iran, journalists contribute not only to information, but to national culture and cohesion.”
National Journalist Day, observed annually on August 8, commemorates the killing of IRNA journalist Mahmoud Saremi and eight Iranian diplomats in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, by the Taliban in 1998. The day has since become a symbol of the sacrifices made by Iranian reporters at home and abroad.