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This week, the Iranian government continued a harsh crackdown on protests and on news outlets covering them. Journalists were expelled from the country. Some were arrested. Others, like Tehran Bureau's Jason Rezaian, were under such severe restrictions that they couldn't effectively report. So Rezaian decided to leave and explains why.
The world watched the historic demonstrations against the Iranian regime this week. By Friday, the government had clamped down hard on journalists, whose reporting credentials were not renewed, and inside Iran access to the outside world was hard to come by. UCSD Professor Babak Rahimi was in Tehran and described his feeling of isolation.
The BBC Persian Service, a satellite channel that broadcasts into Iran, has become a major influence on Iranian society. The interactive show "Your Turn" airs calls and e-mails from those inside the country. "Your Turn" host Siavash Ardalan describes how viewers reported on the sometimes disturbing events taking place this week.
The last time crowds of this size poured onto Tehran's streets was the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Perhaps that's why some in the media have been quick to draw parallels between that period and now. Youseff Ibrahim was the Tehran bureau chief for the New York Times in 1979. He has some reservations about the comparison.
The White House worked to tamp high expectations for Obama's Cairo address but, by the end of the week, the world was watching and listening. Naila Hamdy, Chair of the Journalism Department at the American University in Cairo, discusses the changing landscape of Egypt's media and how they covered the speech.
For several years, Shibley Telhami has been conducting public opinion polls in six Arabic countries, asking people about their views of, among other things, American diplomatic efforts and policies toward the Middle East. He then presented the results to White House officials shortly before Obama's speech. Telhami talks to us about some key findings.
With an explosion in the number of Arab satellite channels dedicated to Islam, a new breed of preacher has emerged. New York Times reporter Robert Worth says these so-called "Satellite Shieiks" tend to be young, moderate, and entertaining to watch. One of Saudi Arabia's most popular, Ahmad al-Shugairi, tells us about his approach to preaching.
The war in Afghanistan shows no signs of letting up and one of the most complicated tasks for the U.S. military is responding to the Taliban's public relations offensive. Greg Bruno, staff writer for the Council on Foreign Relations, says virtually everything the Taliban does is a part of their P.R. strategy.
