A remarkable complementary task in applying the news as working propaganda instruments is employment of the sponsored or paid newspapers, especially those circulated in Iraq. At the present, a number of Iraqi newspapers are directly and indirectly supported by MKO. The papers publish selected or exclusive news reports which in turn serve as sources of reference for MKO propaganda machine. That is to say, a single piece of news is repeated again and again with the difference that each time it is quoted from a different paper with a deliberate display of the front page. As an evidence of MKO’s trick of reporting news more than once but from different angles, Rassul Mohammadnejad, an ex-member, stated:

I remember the years when I was with Mojahedin in Iraq. One of the issues of my falling-out was why we announced a single move as many and even as hundreds. For instance, we launched a small operation ourselves but we saw that the media coverage of the same operation demonstrated as if many teams at different time ad places had carried out many operations. We knew well that they developed many phases of a single operation as fully accomplished operations to pose as a potential force capable of planning many operations every day.*

This news making method is actually applied in all other programs such as interviews, meetings, and so. We see that a matter and event of significance becomes the subject matter of many programs for the extent of many days and each time presented as if a fresh subject.

At times, the airing of the news projects the group’s strategy. In none of the aired reports concerning the US – Iran dispute over the nuclear file you may end up with a peaceful conclusion. The audiences regularly encounter an escalated tension on the horizon. No promising diplomatic and peaceful solution to the file is ever anticipated and the attempts are made to fan the existing dispute to reach a stalemate where the sole outlet would a military option.

In the case of Saddam’s execution, the reports are prepared so crafty that you come to believe that no body consents his hanging and that the executioners have to be prosecuted. Saddam’s being exonerated of all charges might depict a positive effect on the minds that the group’s past collaboration wit the dictator revolved on an axis of goodwill. Thus, when a dictator can be made into a hero, the terrorists can also be taken as pro-democrats.

Mojahedin are fond of being mentioned in the media for whatever cause, even if they are referred to as mercenaries and spies. Although revelation of Iran’s nuclear programs might be considered as an act of espionage rather than a political campaign, they recurrently and in any occasion advert to be the first to have disclosed the veiled activities.

Of course, many aired and published reports of events from inside Iran are merely distorted and exaggerated news and reports. A commonplace gathering of people before state-run or NGO offices is publicized as a big demonstration of dissidents and advocates of Mojahedin in Iran. The national and traditional events and celebrations, especially when the youths swarm into the streets, are reported as rebellions against the regime. Even in the case of quoting Iranian authorities, parts of speeches and comments are left out and are paraphrased so new subjects are formed to maneuver on.

To learn for yourself, have a look over Mojahedin’s TV programs and publications.

Omid Pouya – February 7, 2007

The MKO-run media and websites quantitatively rise to a big number which, compared with the group’s insignificant political weight and modest structure, indicate they are means merely utilized to accomplish the cult’s objectives.

Exploited beyond their main purpose, the media are practical instruments to fulfill MKO’s ambitions. Besides their utilization to augment psychological warfare and propaganda blitz, the media are turned into the means of diffusing ideological teachings directly and indirectly. The TV affording many privileges, the psychological impacts and popularity to count, plays the front role for Mojahedin to control the members held in Camp Ashraf and bias them in favor of the ideology and political line of the cult.

Mojahedin’s TV principally addresses two groups of audiences; the first are Ashraf residents whose chief means of receiving information from the outside is through TV. The aired biased programs also work to have a complete control over the members’ psychological conducts and even the entertainment. It would be discussed later.

The second group is the cult’s sympathizers living in the Western countries and who, according to the group’s teachings and orders, have to look upon Mojahedin TV as a source of receiving the information. Such a channeled source for the Western activists of the group well reveals the complicated sect-like infrastructure teachings of the organization that need to be fully analyzed.

The chief infrastructure parameter on which Mojahedin TV operates is the group’s ideology that is infused in all its programs and which is the main factor to delimit the network compared with many other networks. One might identify it with the Bolshevik daily newspaper Pravda during the Communist era of Lenin and Stalin. Even the news broadcasts that have to necessarily follow an impartial line delineate traces of the ideological teachings. Thus, the news are distorted, censored and the tone of the newsmen is ideologically prejudiced.

The slanted news might remarkably slow down the news broadcasting but sometimes it lasts beyond forty minutes, an over-prolonged tempo that actually violates the conventional standards. Sometimes a single report is prolonged by immoderate repetitions, a trick that simply converts a news-report into a propaganda furor. For instance, Maryam Rajavi’s news of visiting a place is first reported according to Mojahedin’s sources and then repeated references to other media are made to create much elongated news. In general, the news broadcasting follows a regular, systematic order complying with the following observations.

1- Distortion: the news are distorted to comply with the objectives of the group. The news of the Judgment of the Court of the First Instance, for example, was misrepresentation of the truth to concur the proceeding propaganda of Mojahedin in its attempts to be de-proscribed.

2- Repetition: a report is recurrently repeated to justify a distortion. From a psychological point of view, the audiences’ defensive power noticeably shrinks and doubts begin to grow inside them.

3- Modification: the big and hot news and reports that might be challenging are modified to seem as merely simple events lacking any significance.

4- Paraphrasing: reports are paraphrased so the minds of the audiences might deduce desired results. The reports are usually left open to further interpretation by the audiences when the main goal is to grow misgivings that are maintained by later complementary reports.

5- Blending: a report is a combination of alternative sources. The nature of the report resembles that of a distinct one, but in fact, it is a composition of adapted parts to form an ideal outcome.

6- Annexing: the previously released reports might be annexed to the latest ones so the actual ones are hardly distinguished.

7- Censor: a newsworthy report is totally disregarded while it might have received widespread media coverage. It happens when the report antagonizes the interests of the group.

8- Silence: The same as in the censor with the difference that later on the group reacts and takes a position, as in the case of Saddam’s execution.

Mojahedin’s TV news broadcasting program plays an influential role in expounding and generalizing the group’s organizational and political policies. In this process, one sees that Iran’s nuclear file transforms into a pretext for the US military leverage against Iran.

Omid Pouya – February 5, 2007