ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a historical outline of the media field in Iran after the 1979 revolution, including the following periods: The early post-revolutionary era (1979–1988), Rafsanjani’s presidency (1989–1997), Khatami’s presidency (1997–2005), Ahmadinejad’s presidency (2005–2013), and Rouhani’s presidency (2013–2021). The review shows how various political actors who have dominant power over the economy such as the supreme leader, the president, and factional groups, and the very changeable outcomes of their confrontations have varying degrees of influence on journalism. This chapter provides insights into the economic realities of journalism and the press market in Iran. It also addresses the regulations concerning journalism and the press by discussing elements of the Constitution and the Press Law. This chapter tells us how journalists have experienced various forms of pressure from the authorities and how they have suffered from different levels of restriction according to the sociopolitical climate in the country. The review builds the basis for the argument that despite the restrictive context, action and contention have always existed for those Iranian journalists who aim to push the limits of their journalistic conduct.
