Ministry of Guidance Fully Behind Legal Activities of Press
May 13, 1998 - 0:0
TEHRAN The new trend of opening up that has begun in the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance will not slow down, said, Ahmad Borghani, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance for Press Affairs in an interview with the TEHRAN TIMES yesterday. The decisions of the ministry are based on rules and regulations, he said, adding therefore the pressure of groups and individuals can neither slowed the pace of the process nor unnecessarily accelerate it, he said.
The Ministry of Guidance has only one of the four members in the Press Supervisory Board with only one vote. At present about 600 persons have applied for the permission of their publications and the Supervisory Board is considering their cases in its weekly meetings. Asked what measures the ministry has taken to prevent a decline in the quality of the press he said, This is partly the duty of the press to maintain its quality.
At the same time the Education Department of the ministry is determined to train the interested pressmen in the required fields and provide them with foreign and domestic sources. In the future the pressmen will be sent to international media centers to increase their efficiency and meet the deficiencies in the field of human resources, he said. One of the problems of the press is the shortage of specialized forces, specially in the field of journalism and communications, he said, adding the press must try to recruit the graduates in the said fields who are unfortunately engaged in other fields.
Asked whether the summoning of the managing director of the daily Iran could discourage the pressmen, Borghani said, Fereydoun Verdinejad was summoned on the complaint of the Law Enforcement Forces and private complaints. The trial was within the framework of the law, hence it would strengthen the rule of law. The acquittal of Verdinejad was within the framework of the rule of law.
The press is free to carry out their activity, he said adding, the managing director of every publication is responsible for its content. If the press functions within the framework of the law no one can hinder their activity and the Ministry of Guidance will strongly support them. On the role of the press in the 21st century, he said, though some believe that the print media will be replaced by the electronic media in 21st century, it would not be so.
We will see the publication of the press media side by side with the electronic media. The print media will continue to play a decisive role in the area of watching government's activities. Hence the print media will assume a new role in the 21st century, he concluded.
The Ministry of Guidance has only one of the four members in the Press Supervisory Board with only one vote. At present about 600 persons have applied for the permission of their publications and the Supervisory Board is considering their cases in its weekly meetings. Asked what measures the ministry has taken to prevent a decline in the quality of the press he said, This is partly the duty of the press to maintain its quality.
At the same time the Education Department of the ministry is determined to train the interested pressmen in the required fields and provide them with foreign and domestic sources. In the future the pressmen will be sent to international media centers to increase their efficiency and meet the deficiencies in the field of human resources, he said. One of the problems of the press is the shortage of specialized forces, specially in the field of journalism and communications, he said, adding the press must try to recruit the graduates in the said fields who are unfortunately engaged in other fields.
Asked whether the summoning of the managing director of the daily Iran could discourage the pressmen, Borghani said, Fereydoun Verdinejad was summoned on the complaint of the Law Enforcement Forces and private complaints. The trial was within the framework of the law, hence it would strengthen the rule of law. The acquittal of Verdinejad was within the framework of the rule of law.
The press is free to carry out their activity, he said adding, the managing director of every publication is responsible for its content. If the press functions within the framework of the law no one can hinder their activity and the Ministry of Guidance will strongly support them. On the role of the press in the 21st century, he said, though some believe that the print media will be replaced by the electronic media in 21st century, it would not be so.
We will see the publication of the press media side by side with the electronic media. The print media will continue to play a decisive role in the area of watching government's activities. Hence the print media will assume a new role in the 21st century, he concluded.