Meeting with Media Managers and Programmers from Various Countries

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

We welcome our dear guests who are present here and attended the festival.

I believe that these gatherings and meetings, especially in the current conditions of the world, can be beneficial for all humanity. I would like to share some thoughts with friends and hope that the answers to the two or three questions raised by some attendees will be addressed during these remarks. Radio, which is the focus of your gathering, remains an important medium; despite the emergence of subsequent media, the role of radio continues to be significant, impactful, and very extensive due to its unique advantages. The importance of the influence of any media increases the responsibilities of its programmers. I want to emphasize the weight of your responsibilities as managers and programmers of radio media.

Today, media around the world convey thoughts, culture, behavior, and, in fact, the cultural identity of individuals. Media can be effective in improving the quality of human life; they can contribute to the expansion of global peace and security; they can enhance morality and spirituality among people and can make individuals happier; conversely, they can also be a means of igniting devastating wars; they can promote harmful habits and behaviors among people; they can strip nations of their human identity and national identity, and they can revive feelings of discrimination among individuals. The role of media today is very significant. If international media management and programming are based on ethical standards, virtue, equality, and reliance on genuine human concepts, nations will benefit. If media programming and management are based on the interests of economic companies, international wealthy individuals, and totalitarian and monopolistic powers, humanity will certainly suffer.

Media can pave the way for free and bilateral and multilateral dialogue among nations. This is one of the greatest advantages of public and widespread media. Media can ethically and rationally exchange the concepts of nations with one another and facilitate spiritual, ethical, and cultural transactions; this is a very valuable issue. They can elevate the level of awareness and knowledge of people. If media are managed fairly in the world, and the media road is not a one-way street, nations will truly listen to each other and recognize the concepts that are respected among them, which will help bring nations closer together.

As was mentioned in the statements of several of you, many of the existing hostilities among nations—exploited by the powerful and wealthy—stem from misunderstanding and miscommunication. They do not know each other's words. If I take a look at the state of media in the world, my perspective on the current media situation is not optimistic; I must convey this to you managers and programmers. I do not deny what the esteemed president of this union stated regarding advancements; they exist; however, the view of the media situation in the world is not encouraging, reassuring, or satisfying. Today, the media and communication road is not a bilateral and multilateral road; it is a one-way street; that is to say, what the media power holders and media empires prefer is disseminated and reflected around the world using advanced science and technology. What do they prefer? What concepts do they want to disseminate? Are they human concepts? Are they rooted in a sense of virtue? Is there truly human justice in them? We do not feel such a thing at all. Today, the media and news empire of the world is almost completely and nearly entirely in the hands of those who do not desire moral virtue, religion, faith, spirituality, and peace for the world. Those who have the greatest control over the world's media also possess the largest arms manufacturing factories; they have the most destructive and devastating atomic bombs or are connected to them; their policies of domination are part of their daily and permanent activities. Media are largely in the hands of these individuals.

Of course, today is different from fifty or twenty years ago; independent nations and countries have gained access to media; they are somewhat doing their own work; however, there remains a significant gap between what exists and what should be; that is, the two-way and multi-way road that can accurately convey the essence of nations and the concepts respected in the eyes of nations to one another.

Today, observe the dominant media policies in the world. Their interests dictate that they equate Islam with terrorism. This is being done with increasing speed and with greater use of advanced technologies. Their interests dictate that, conversely, they consider America as the epitome of human rights and democracy. This is easily and with complex and highly advanced media methods carried out in the world. Great lies are reflected as truths in radio, television, internet waves, and so on. As some friends pointed out, suddenly the issue of bird flu becomes the number one topic in the world, which may not even cause a thousand deaths globally. Meanwhile, the daily slaughter of one hundred twenty thousand unarmed Iraqi citizens by Americans or their terrorist affiliates goes unmentioned; suddenly the world is filled with claims that Iran is pursuing the construction of nuclear weapons. Those who adopt and promote this propaganda policy clearly know that this is a lie; however, the interests of managing the media and news empire necessitate that it be said, and so it is said. The fact that a nation has achieved an advanced technology through its own efforts, which it owes to no one, and wishes to use it peacefully, is not mentioned in the world's media! In the case of Palestine, if an explosion occurs in an area of Palestine where some Zionists are injured, it is reflected as a major catastrophe in the world; however, conversely, the daily killings of Palestinians—without exaggeration—by soldiers and the official announcement of the assassination of Palestinian activists by the leaders of the Israeli government go unmentioned and are not reflected, and thus do not come to mind. These are the chronic problems and major pains of the public media issue and media waves in the world. This is the essence of the matter.

The knowledge that has provided these smooth, easy, and rapid media for humanity should be able to make humanity happy. This happiness is achieved when nations can clearly inform each other of their desired concepts; they can understand each other's words and pains; they can comprehend and identify each other's motivations. You see, if today, for example, the American nation were to know the Iranian nation's views on the important contemporary global issues, what would happen; regarding human rights, the issue of religious democracy—which is our slogan—the Iranian perspective on religious democracy, the Iranian nation's views on the role of religion in people's lives and the impact that religion can have, the role of women in social life, and Islam's view of women; suppose the American nation or European nations heard these from the voice of the Iranian nation—something that I believe you, as media professionals, have not heard, let alone ordinary citizens of Western countries—then significant events would occur in the world; many misunderstandings would be resolved; many knots among nations would be untied, and the scope of decision-making by politicians and powerful individuals based on the interests of monetary and financial empires in the world would be limited. Today, politicians and powerful individuals exploit the ignorance of their own nations and carry out many words and actions in the world in the name of nations. If nations were to know the truth, they might not be satisfied with these actions and collaborations and might not accept these governments. Media can play such a role and can truly help in the happiness of humanity.

If religion, ethics, and virtue prevail in media management and programming, certainly media will be in a better state, and the condition of humanity will improve from what it is today. I recommend that in such gatherings, at least to the same extent that technical and operational exchanges take place, discussions and thoughts should be held regarding human ideals and how to implement these virtues and ideals; so that spirituality and ethics can enter the flow of global media, and this valuable scientific advancement and movement that has taken place in the world and has elevated media can serve humanity. This is what I convey to friends.

I hope that the two or three friends who asked questions have found answers to their inquiries in what we have said.

I thank the managers of the Islamic Republic's broadcasting organization for organizing this gathering and arranging this program and inviting you dear guests, and I hope that you have had a pleasant time in these few days and, God willing, will leave Iran with good memories.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.