Mashaollah Shamsolvaezeen is a prominent journalist and former editor-in-chief of several reformist newspapers. Today, Shamsolvaezeen is not employed by any publication. With his articles being rejected nowadays, he does not have a platform to publish his ideas. We spoke with Shamsolvaezeen about today’s newspapers and their condition. Below is an excerpt of the interview.
Rooz (R): Do you think there is a chance for another "Spring of press freedom" in Iran, the kind we witnessed in the years between 1998 and 2000?
Mashaollah Shamsolvaezeen (MS): At that time, there was social pressure that forced the regime into accepting new norms and a peaceful political explosion climaxed into the reform movement. To be fair, certain spaces created by the regime’s legal structure were also important in creating that movement. But there must be social pressure to make positive change possible. Just as government, when dealing with public health, emphasizes vaccination to prevent disease, in the political realm, it must vaccinate the system against dysfunction by creating an environment that supports free press. Otherwise, we will see a dysfunctional political system and an alienated population.
R: Well, with these conditions, in what era was the Iranian press more effective?
MS: Relatively speaking, the publications during the fifth Majlis and more importantly the sixth Majlis were more effective than publications from other periods. There is an interesting point here though: some times the responsibility of the press to illuminate the public is transferred onto civil institutions and civil society organizations, like political parties. At other times, especially during crises, strong personalities substitute for the press and civil society organizations, meaning they function in lieu of a free press. For example, certain powerful individuals are lobbying the system to solve the problem of the disqualification of the large number of reformist candidates. These are the kinds of things that happen in the Third World, and they are not the most efficient way to solve problems.
R: What are the most efficient ways?
MS: Solving problems through lobbying and holding elderly councils is not the best way. This model belongs to the pre-modern world. In the modern world, this responsibility has been bestowed unto modern institutions. What is taking place today stands in opposition to the norm prevalent in a republic. In the modern world, the government must obtain its legitimacy from the people. But what happens here is the exact opposite: people are disqualified by the government. It is better if the regime honestly admitted to this. The Guardian Council could itself nominate 290 MP’s and not waste public funds to hold elections, like what happens in Saudi Arabia. The Sultan or the King is appointed by God to pick individuals to consult with. We must pick a system like that and avoid having our current problems.
R: Mr. Shams, how optimistic are you about the future?
MS: I have no inkling of hope. The smallest criticism gets a publication banned. The National Security council passes legislation on what the press is allowed to cover. Tehran’s prosecutor general Saeed Mortazavi interferes by making personnel decisions for independent publications. His interference is so shameless that independent publications must stop publishing right now. With the dominance of such an outlook and model there is no place left for the press - or for hope. I used to be an optimistic person, but now am hopeless – god bless the rest!
