TEHRAN – Political activist Mohammad Javad Haqshenas, who is also a member of the reformist National Trust Party, has expressed concern about the state of the local media.

“It seems that people have turned away from the press and it is alarming,” Haqshenas said as he visited the ISNA news agency pavilion at the Tehran International Press Festival.
Officials should take this issue seriously, because a problem can not be resolved through turning a blind eye to it, he said.
He also highlighted the role of press and political parties in the liveliness of modern societies and said the Iranian society is not an exception.
However, the current political climate has made political and journalistic activities too difficult and costly, he noted.
Haqshenas also called on those political figures who care about the future of the country to campaign for lifting illegal restrictions on political activities.