TEHRAN AP PRODUCER ON MEDIA ENVIRONMENT, JOURNALISM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RPO DUBAI 000054 SIPDIS, LONDON FOR DSREEBNEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2018 TAGS: PGOV PROP ECPS IR SUBJECT: TEHRAN AP PRODUCER ON MEDIA ENVIRONMENT, JOURNALISM EXCHANGES DUBAI 00000054 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Ramin Asgard, Director, Iran Regional Presence Office, DOS. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a November 8 meeting with IRPOffs, Tehran Associated Press Television News (APTN) senior producer Reza Ganji detailed the AP's continuing efforts to maintain a foothold for American journalism inside Iran, challenges it faces in Iran's tense media environment, and some views about Iranian perceptions towards foreign media based upon discussions with senior officials. In addition, Ganji offered some suggestions regarding means to increase journalist access into Iran, including possible journalism exchanges. End summary. ¶2. (C) Reza Ganji, AP TV News Tehran Senior Producer told IRPOffs that the Iranian government continues to allow AP's presence in Tehran and good access to a range of contacts inside the government. It has not censored or interfered with AP reporting. The AP office has sections covering news, sports, entertainment, and other areas. The Tehran office now serves as the main source of wire information on Iran, including for VOA, particularly since CNN and other major networks ended their contracts with Reuters a few weeks ago. In addition, Ganji noted, he assists other US media outlets like ABC and Fox with their reporting out of Iran. Given AP's importance as an American news outlet in Iran - and its vulnerability to potential Iranian retaliation over U.S. prohibitions on Iranian journalists - Ganji urged USG to support its continuing viability. In brief, Ganji called for improving the level of journalistic exchange and access between the US and Iran. ¶3. (C) Ganji did not seem to be aware in any detailed way about the recent difficulties faced by the International War and Peace Reporting journalists, whose well-coordinated exchange program was cancelled at the very last moment by Iranian security officials who forbid their participation. Alluding to such challenges, IRPOff noted that while the IRIG claimed at senior levels that it supported exchanges, operationally it complicated and in some cases wholly blocked several recent programs. Ganji replied this was due to lingering concerns and paranoia over foreign intrigues. He added, "It's not so unreasonable they'd be nervous with US forces on their borders and throughout the region." The best way to reduce such paranoia, Ganji suggested, was to encourage information flow. Enhancing journalist access in both directions would offer benefits along these lines. ¶4. (C) Ganji suggested that many of the problems impacting bilateral relations could be attributed to poor administration within the Iranian government. As an example, he cited the last-minute request by the IRIG to add ten journalists to President Ahmadinejad's 2008 UNGA delegation. Ganji's contacts inside the government complained about the perceived US slight when these journalists' visas were "refused." Ganji told IRPOffs he replied forcefully to these complaints telling Iranian officials that "knowing how you operate, you probably turned in the visa applications at the last minute, and then expected everything to work out." He claimed to have also told them that prompt and courteous visa service (or for that matter support of human rights of journalists - foreign or domestic) - was not an IRIG strength. Whether Ganji is actually so assertive with IRIG officials is hard to tell, but his jocular recounting of these incidents suggest he may have sprinkled a share of humor into his admonishment. ¶5. (C) On the journalism exchange programs, Ganji noted that, even with the difficulties encountered by recent exchange programs, he would like to organize an exchange program with Iranian media representatives traveling to the US. Ganji also discussed with IRPOffs the possibility of sending a US journalism professor and a prominent journalist (print or broadcast) to Iran to visit various university journalism departments to conduct workshops. ¶6. (C) Comment: The AP's ability to report relatively freely from Iran and the continued access of many Iranians to satellite broadcasts and the internet suggests that information is continuing to flow in and out of Iran at a level beyond what the IRIG can control. We can encourage this positive trend through tactful support of current private media operations. Ganji's suggestion of American media professionals visiting Iran to conduct journalism workshops is an intriguing possibility. In addition to assisting in opening media breathing room for AP and DUBAI 00000054 002.2 OF 002 other foreign outlets to operate, it can start professionalizing Iranian journalism. Finally, as many contacts have suggested, sending exchange visitors to Iran may help overcome lingering IRIG suspicions about exchanges in general. ASGARD