ABSTRACT
Control of the press has been a central battle in the factional political struggle within Iran. Newspapers supporting President Muhammad Khatami, who held that office from 1997 to 2005 leading a reformist faction, were closed or harassed, as are those whose criticisms of government policy or the regime’s ideology go too far in the eyes of the powerful conservative faction. This discussion takes a detailed look at the period between 1998 and 2001, one of relative media freedom in Iran.
