BBG Watch Commentary

Voice of America (VOA) director Amanda Bennett was bragging on Facebook what a great job VOA was doing in covering the anti-regime demonstrations in Iran even though for the first days of the protests VOA English News did not have the story on its homepage (BBC and DW did), VOA Persian Service was late in posting videos from the protests, and both VOA English and VOA Persian were more than two hours late reporting on the White House statement on Iran Sunday night.

“Considering that this all happened on a major holiday when we were working with a skeleton staff, I think we’re doing pretty good,” Amanda Bennett, an Obama administration holdover appointee wrote in her Facebook post, but Twitter users left numerous highly critical comments under a Voice of America tweet for VOA report “Iranian Official Blames ‘Foreign Agents’ for Protester Deaths.”

“Replying to @VOANews: I remember when the voice of America opposed tyrannical regimes instead of spreading their talking points. You are a disgrace,” was a typical comment. Another comment was: “Change your name to ‘Voice of Rouhani’ and get your funding from the Ayatollahs!”

There was also this comment under the VOA tweet: “Replying to @VOANews: Well, at least you’re ensuring the murderous regime of killers get their side told #whatsideareyouon”

Some of the comments appeared to be from non-Iranian Americans; others were from Iranians or Iranian Americans.

“Replying to @VOANews: Is your programming and coverage controlled by the Iranian Regime? #Iranprotests,” one Twitter user asked.

“They kinda support the government all the time, in 2009 did the same as well. You can’t trust media anymore,” another Twitter user wrote in a comment under the VOA report.

“Replying to @VOANews: I thought you were supposed to be the voice of America, not Iran,” another person observed.

“Replying to @VOANews: And here you are spewing propaganda for terrorists instead of standing up for those fighting for their freedom after 4 decades.”

“Replying to @VOANews: Taking down every name and organization that stands with Iran terrorists against the people tired of the oppression. Lines are being drawn and you are on the wrong side.”

“Replying to @VOANews: Voice of the Alt-Left.”

“Replying to @VOANews: Change your name to VOICE OF IRAN #Iran #Iranian #FreeIran #RegimeChange #IranProtests.”

“Replying to @VOANews: Your not the Voice of America…Who do you think your Fooling?”

“Replying to @VOANews: @VOANews it was the OPPRESSIVE REGIME who MURDERED these peaceful protesters. #Dumbassery.”

“Replying to @VOANews: The Regime gets cover fire ”

“Replying to @VOANews: Wow, this doesn’t appear to be very popular. You may want to go ahead and scrap this and try producing real news instead of dictator propaganda.”

“Replying to @VOANews: Bull..”

“Replying to @VOANews: ‘Voice of Iranian Dictators.'”

“Replying to @VOANews: Voice of Global Jihad.”

ALSO SEE: Voice of America takes more than two hours to post a White House statement on Iran, BBG Watch, January 1, 2017.

 

ALSO SEE: Voice of America highlights dying roosters and Iran regime propaganda as protesting Iranians die, BBG Watch, December 31, 2017.

 

ALSO SEE: VOA English News has 0 Facebook videos on Iran protests, BBG Watch, December 30, 2017.

 

ALSO SEE: Iran Protests Missing from Voice of America VOA News English Homepage, BBG Watch, December 29, 2017.

 

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Voice of America Mobile Site Homepage Screenshot December 31, 2017 10:48 AM ET.

VOICE OF AMERICA

Text Only captured at 10:48 AM ET, Sunday, December 31, 2017

Iranian Official Blames ‘Foreign Agents’ for Protester Deaths

December 31, 2017 7:53 AM

VOA News

An Iranian official is blaming “foreign agents” for the shooting deaths of two protesters during widespread anti-government demonstrations Saturday.

“No shots were fired by the police and security forces,” Habibollah Khojastehpour, a deputy governor of the province where the protesters were killed. “We have found evidence of enemies of the revolution, Takfiri groups and foreign agents in this clash,” he said in an interview on state television Sunday.

The shootings happened in the western town of Dorud on the third day of protests. VOA’s Persian service identified the victims as Hamzeh Lashni and Hossein Reshno after a reporter spoke to the victims’ families.

Video posted to social media purported to show the two victims following the shootings. Other online video showed thousands of people protesting in several cities throughout Iran — including some attacking government buildings and violently confronting police.

There were reports that mobile devices were unable to access the internet for a period of time Saturday, though coverage was restored later in the day. But Iranian media reported on Sunday that access to some photo and message sharing apps was again restricted.

Protesters will ‘pay the price’

Earlier Sunday, Iran’s interior minister warned that those who “disrupt the order and break the law must be responsible for their behavior and pay the price.” Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli, in a statement on state television, said “fear and terror will definitely be confronted.”

The uprisings — the biggest and most sustained since the 2009 presidential election protests — were sparked by high food prices and the country’s high unemployment rate. As many as 72 people died in the 2009 unrest after the regime cracked down demonstrators challenging the reelection of then-President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

The latest demonstrations were seen as a cry against President Hassan Rouhani, who won re-election in May with promises to revive the economy.

Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal is seen as Rouhani’s major achievement. The deal, made with the United States and five other world powers, curbed Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions. But economic growth has not followed, and people are struggling to cope with the high cost of living.

Iran’s unemployment rate is 12.4 percent, its economy stagnant and inflation rampant

Little information about the protests is available, however, because state-run and semi-official news media have not widely reported on the demonstrations.

As a counter to the violence, separate state-sponsored rallies took place around the country to mark the end of the unrest that shook the country in 2009. State television reported pro-government rallies were held in about 1,200 cities and towns.

Cautions on social media use

Iran’s telecommunications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi sent a public message to the CEO of the messaging service Telegram, telling him, “A Telegram channel is encouraging hateful conduct: use of Molotov cocktails, armed uprising, and social unrest.” Telegram responded saying it had suspended the account.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov also tweeted a public message, explaining why the account was suspended.

“A Telegram channel [amadnews] started to instruct their subscribers to use Molotov cocktail against police and got suspended due to our ‘no calls for violence’ rule. Be careful,” Durov said. “There are lines one shouldn’t cross.”

A prominent cleric, Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, told thousands of pro-government demonstrators in Tehran that “the enemy” wanted to use social media and economic issues to “foment a new sedition.”

State television broadcast images of the protests Saturday, something it rarely does, including acknowledging that some of the demonstrators were chanting the name of Iran’s last shah, who fled the country during the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Reaction

U.S. President Donald Trump denounced the Iranian government Saturday, tweeting excerpts from his September 19 speech to the U.N. General Assembly. He charged Rouhani’s government, and those before it, have long oppressed the Iranian people.

In a statement Friday, the U.S. State Department said, “Iran’s leaders have turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted rogue state, whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed and chaos.”

The State Department urged “all nations to publicly support the Iranian people and their demands for basic rights and an end to corruption.”

RFE/RL contributed to this report.

END OF VOA REPORT

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