TEHRAN- The Story of Standing media festival has officially been launched by the City Journalists' House, emphasizing the vital role of media narratives in strengthening social unity and national resilience. 

The event is dedicated to honoring the influential efforts of journalists, broadcasters, and content creators who documented the resilience and sacrifices of the Iranian people during the 12-day war initiated by the Zionist regime against Iranian soil.

With the slogan "Every Stand Has a Story," the festival underscores the importance of media in shaping public perception during times of crisis. It aims to evaluate and celebrate the professional performance of those who narrated and recorded the resistance, serving as models of committed media activism. The event also seeks to bolster organizational resilience within media outlets, document valuable media experiences, and promote a resilient national discourse that enhances social cohesion amid hybrid and psychological warfare strategies.

The festival emphasizes supporting media personnel and storytellers in creating inspiring content that fosters resistance and resilience. Additionally, the event aims to identify and empower crisis narrators capable of contributing to national resilience and to improve the quality of media productions in confronting cultural and security threats. Deepening public engagement with media narratives and fostering strategic collaborations between media and cultural institutions are also key goals, with the aim of institutionalizing the discourse of resistance and resilience within national media policies.

The festival is structured around three main categories. The first encompasses print media and news agencies, including newspapers, journals, and online news platforms that have published content in text, photography, or multimedia formats depicting the resilience and sacrifices of the Iranian people during the war. 

The second category highlights visual and audio media, including works produced by radio and television networks at the national and regional levels, as well as online video-on-demand services and radio stations, which utilize sound and visual capacities to deliver impactful, documentary-style stories of resistance. 

The third category focuses on social media content, recognizing innovative and authentic narratives shared across platforms by individuals and user-generated sources. This includes social media posts, podcasts, blogs, and other digital content in various formats such as text, images, or multimedia.

The call for submissions for the Story of Standing has recently been announced, inviting journalists, media activists, visual and audio producers, social media influencers, and writers to participate. Entries are open until August 8. Participants are encouraged to submit works that reflect themes of resilience and resistance, created and published after the conclusion of the 12-day conflict. 

The festival will recognize outstanding works through a series of awards. Besides trophies, certificates of appreciation, and cash prizes, four special awards will be granted based on quality and impact. 

SAB/