Saturday Feb. 25,2006
News in brief- Iran-Emroozonline reporting from "ISNA" :

A perilous measure !

Mr. Shamsolvaezin : Anyone who is going to be announced by the government as journalist will lose their credit from the public!

ISNA : The spoksperson for the " Association in Defense of Press Freedom " have adviced the government not to interfere in making criteria for journalists!

He said: When government is entering into this area , soon we will have reporter who are either not reporter or not journalist.........Do they want to make journalists who are embeded with government?

Mr. Shams said: The Ministry of Islamic Guidance and Culture of the new government , since it came to power looked at the media as a government body which will bring benefit to the government . Looking at media in this way will harm them and this plan will fail.

Making criteria for journalists and reporter is the work of syndicate and professional unions and therefore it is not the responsibility of Ministry of Islamic Guidance and Culture .

Shams: Journalism is very difficult in Iran , not only at the time of Khatami which there were pressure,prison and restriction but also at this time when the government is trying to make criteria for journalists , this is perilous.I predict that later on some of the security agents will be recognized as journalists .

He said : We, as the media organizations won't allow this to happen and will act promptly and correctly to prevent this.

We announce that; The journalists don't need " Guardian council " to decide who is journalist and who is not ?

End/
Translated by IRAN WATCH CANADA
Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news2/more/7105/

In another article we read : Government recognizes who is journalist and who is not!?

Link:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news2/more/7104/