Mehr is an Iranian news agency. It has been broadcasting for over 30 years since its establishment in 1979. Mehr News Agency (MNA) was launched on February 2, 1979 after the victory of Islamic Revolution to provide domestic and international news as well as cultural programs to people of Iran. MNA currently broadcasts round-the-clock in Persian language at home and abroad with a variety of shortwave, medium wave, FM frequencies and satellite channels.
After the revolution, all news agencies in Iran were nationalized and became government-owned. This process started with the nationalization of “Kayhan” newspaper on March 1979. It was followed by nationalizing MNA as well. With this change, Mehr News Agency began to broadcast round-the-clock from Tehran at home and abroad through a variety of shortwave, medium wave and FM frequencies.
MNA has correspondents stationed in more than 103 countries around the world where they cover different events for Iranian audiences both inside and outside their country. Additionally, it also broadcasts TV programs such as talk shows on current affairs (Haft), documentary films (Biyoloji) or cultural issues like music concerts from other countries.
There are two TV channels broadcasting with Mehr News Agency: mehr and Rasa.
The first channel, mehr mainly broadcasts in Persian language but also has some programs in English and Arabic languages for the audiences abroad that include a daily magazine show (Iran va Jahan), talk shows on current affairs (Haft) or documentary films about Iranian culture such as music concerts from other countries. A new program called Iran-o-Rooz was launched recently to cover special events happening during Nowruz holidays around the world like Nowruz celebrations at UN headquarters or now ruzi ceremonies in New York City’s Central Park etc… The second channel, Rasa, is an international satellite channel with entertainment content dedicated to the Iranian diaspora abroad and broadcasts in Persian, Arabic and English.
“Mehr News Agency is an independent agency founded by former Press TV journalists following a dispute with Iran’s state broadcaster.”
The Mehr news agency was set up by ex-journalists from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) after they had been fired or left their jobs because of pressure against them and other pressures on freedom of speech during Ahmadinejad’s presidency. mehr was established as an alternative to IRIB which has more than 150 reporters working for it but critics see mehrs coverage as biased towards moderate conservatives. The website became popular among people who were unhappy about censorship under Mr Ahmadinejads government – partly because it didnt shy away from publishing pictures of the regime’s leaders with red circles drawn around their faces.
“The Mehr website launched in 2009 and was among a number of Iranian news sites blocked by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but is now accessible again.”
In 2013, mehrs website became inaccessible following a dispute between management and staff who were unhappy at what they saw as violations to editorial independence. In May 2014, IRIB shut down mehr’s live stream service which had been unblocked two months earlier when Hassan Rouhani succeeded Mr Ahmadinejad as president. The agency has since published articles critical of government policy including curbs on freedom of speech under Mr Ruhani’s administration; critics have
