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Topics on Journalism : Views from Iran (In Persian)

This panel will explore various aspects of journalism in and about Iran.
Chair
name: 
Fariba Amini
Institutional Affiliation : 
Independent writer and journalist
Academic Bio: 
Fariba Amini is a writer and a journalist. She has written extensively on the issues of human rights, women and the modern history of Iran. Fariba has interviewed a number of American diplomats, policy makers and academics among them, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Marvin Zonis, and Juan Cole. A number of her articles have been translated and published in Iran. She edited and published the book, letters from Ahmad Abad: Mohammad Mosaddeq’s letters to Nosratollah Amini and is the author of Faces of Successful Iranian Americans published by the US State Department. Her articles have appeared in the Guardian and in Philadelphia Inquirer as well as many websites. Fariba received her degree in sociology from George Mason University, a degree in history from Ecole Des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and a degree in Business administration from Georgetown University. Fariba was the Persian editor at the International Center for Journalists and created its website for Iranian journalists. She was also the copy editor for the US State Department Persian website. Currently she does exclusive interviews for Rooz online.
Discussant
Name: 
Kazem Alamdari
Institutional Affiliation : 
California State University
Academic Bio : 
TBA
First Presenter
Name: 
Fariba Amini
Institutional Affiliation : 
Independent Writer and Journalist
Academic Bio : 
Fariba Amini is a writer and a journalist. She has written extensively on the issues of human rights, women and the modern history of Iran. Fariba has interviewed a number of American diplomats, policy makers and academics among them, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Marvin Zonis, and Juan Cole. A number of her articles have been translated and published in Iran. She edited and published the book, letters from Ahmad Abad: Mohammad Mosaddeq’s letters to Nosratollah Amini and is the author of Faces of Successful Iranian Americans published by the US State Department. Her articles have appeared in the Guardian and in Philadelphia Inquirer as well as many websites. Fariba received her degree in sociology from George Mason University, a degree in history from Ecole Des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and a degree in Business administration from Georgetown University. Fariba was the Persian editor at the International Center for Journalists and created its website for Iranian journalists. She was also the copy editor for the US State Department Persian website. Currently she does exclusive interviews for Rooz online.
Concise Paper Title : 
Interviews with the Interviewers
Paper Abstract (maximum of 400 words) : 
Fariba Amini will speak about the art of interviewing and how it is different from person to person. She will examine the relationship between journalists abroad and those working inside Iran. She will also discuss the ethics of journalism in its various forms and how the art of journalism varies from country to country.
Second Presenter
Name: 
Soheil Asefi
Institutional Affiliation : 
Independent Journalist
Academic Bio : 
Soheil Asefi is an independent journalist who, at a very young age, started writing articles and covered the Majlis in Iran. He worked for various media and publications such as the newspaper Shargh, writing columns on politics and history. He has interviewed numerous high- ranking government officials as well as many academics. He was arrested in 2007 and spent three months in Evin, mostly in the notorious 209 ward. He spent part of his incarceration in solitary confinement. He was released on bail set at 500K which was unprecedented for a journalist. He left Iran in 2008 with a scholarship from PEN, German division and is currently residing in Nuremburg, Germany. He is a member of the International Federation of Journalists and a guest of the human rights office of the city of Nuremburg. In 2009, he won the Hermann Kesten award. He is a member of the jury of the international human rights film festival, Perspective. Soheil is a graduate of Soureh University in film studies.
Concise Paper Title : 
Journalism in Iran: Perspectives and Analyses. Where Do Independent
Paper Abstract (maximum of 400 words) : 
Soheil Asefi will examine the work of independent journalists in Iran, his own experience working for different newspapers, the challenges he faced, and the many obstacles he had to overcome with regard to censorship by editors of government-run papers and reformist papers. He will offer a broad overview of the current state of the Green movement.
Thid Presenter
Name: 
Fereshteh Ghazi, Journalist, Rooz Online
Institutional Affiliation : 
Fereshteh Ghazi, Journalist, Rooz Online
Academic Bio : 
Fereshteh Ghazi began her work as a journalist and reporter in 1997. She was a reporter at the Parliament, the Office of the President and covered news from political parties and universities. She worked in 18 different newspapers in Iran. In 2005, she was arrested and imprisoned for working for Emrooz website. She was tortured and later released on 50 thousand dollars. Upon her release, she sued the judge and her interrogator for mental and physical abuse while in prison which resulted in a broken nose. Fereshteh has written numerous articles on the plight of Iranian prisoners, including the 13 Jews in Shiraz who had been condemned to death that resulted in a reduced sentence. She reported in detail the murder of Canadian Iranian photo journalist Zahra Kazemi. Fereshteh was banned from using her pen upon the orders of Tehran’s former prosecutor. She left Iran shortly before the June 2009 elections. She continues to write extensively on political prisoners and interviews many of the families of the slain victims. She currently writes for Rooz online. She also her own blog called Iranban which is a source of news from Iran.
Concise Paper Title : 
Journalists: Prisoners of Pen in Iran
Paper Abstract (maximum of 400 words) : 
Fereshteh Ghazi- will discuss the plight of journalists in Iran since her own incarceration and her experience as a woman journalist, the hurdles she had to overcome and the problems faced by many of her colleagues. She will explore the use of pen in times of media censorship, and the differences between the Khatami era and current clampdown.
Fourth Presenter
Name: 
na
Academic Bio : 
na
Concise Paper Title : 
na
Paper Abstract (maximum of 400 words) : 
na

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