Quote Originally Posted by Psycho4Bud
TEHRAN: Iran's government has warned of a "creeping coup in the press", newspapers reported on Sunday, raising concerns about a tougher line in future with media critical of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"There are many signs showing there is a creeping coup in the press," culture minister Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi said in comments published in several reformist newspapers. "When we talk about a creeping coup it means someone's movement is in an overthrowing framework. We do not see a coup as a group gathering in a military base and seeking to attack," he said.

Harandi's comments come after the reformist daily Ham Mihan was banned less than two months after it returned to newsstands, and Iran's labour news agency, ILNA, stopped its activities following the resignation of its director.
Ahmadinejad's communications officer has vowed that "lies and ill-intentions will not remain unanswered." "The black, unclean propaganda, and the daily plots against the government plans and actions have turned into direct insults and mockery of the president," Mohammad Jafar Behdad said, as quoted by Shargh newspaper.

Ahmadinejad's press adviser has charged that "some publications have not reached political maturity, which forces the National Security Council to issue warnings." "As long as some publications serve the agenda of parties and power-seeking groups, relevant authorities should intervene and warn to protect national interests," Ali Akbar Javanfekr told Shargh.

Re-banned after returning to stands after a seven-year ban, Ham Mihan was published by former Tehran mayor Gholam Hosein Karbaschi. ILNA, which halted work on Tuesday night, regularly reported on workers' protests and human rights issues. In a letter carried on ILNA's website director Masoud Heydari said he had resigned to "protect the agency from damages". "ILNA has reflected the news of civil institutions, it knows about their problems, pains, and demands," wrote Heydari.
Iran warns against 'coup in press'-Gulf-World-The Times of India

Looks like ol' boy Ahmadinejad has his hands full.........LOL:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:s4:
Maybe if the people in Iran can get their government under control, and we can get our government under control, there can be some peaceful interaction, at least we still have the free press, well some of it, the part that Rupert Murdoch doesn't own, and even as we speak he is trying to buy the rest of our news sources. When he has full control of the news, our liberties are gone forever, think about it, without a free press we are living in a Dictatorship. For now, there are a few free thinkers doing business in the news business, Kieth Olberman comes to mind, Lou Dobbs has an agenda, but most of the rest are Right wing puppets, and that hate spewing drug addict criminal Rush Limbaugh is the righties God, Puke Puke Puke.