Document Type : Original Article
Abstract
This paper studies the current situation of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) as the only official news agency of Iran in the field of its ownership methods and management model adopting a comparative approach with three major news agencies of Associated Press (AP), Agence France Presse (AFP), and Reuters as well as the Indian national news agency (PTI). It collects the analytic views of the Iranian media experts and policy-makers for mapping the ideal pattern of IRNA. The results that reached by a qualitative methodology mixed with a comparative study and in-depth interviews, show the necessity of establishing a competent professional non-political management at IRNA and shifting the existing government leverage on policymaking at the agency. It is concluded that the existing government ownership of IRNA could continue under the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. However, two concurring simultaneous changes seem inevitable: introduction of the professional management as well as revival and consolidation of the role played by the agency's Supreme Supervising Council.
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