Farsi editorial team: Mixed feelings on 60th anniversary

Most DW offerings have been blocked in Iran for years, with the last remaining open channel – Instagram –blocked as of September. Editorial staff are being harassed. How are colleagues dealing with the stress? 

The calls came from Iranian intelligence as soon as the protests began. Agents threatened the family and friends of a DW editor, telling them to cut off contact with him and to unfollow him on Instagram. The journalist was said to be a "muharebbe" (Engl. warrior against God) – which is punishable by death in Iran. The employee, who lives in Germany, nearly 5,000 km from Tehran, suddenly felt his home country was very close. "The threat is real, it has always been there, but it intensified when the protests in Iran began in September," said Yalda Zarbakhch, Head of DW Persian Service.  

In late October, the Iranian regime accused the Farsi newsroom of supporting terrorism. The subsequent sanctions mean they are banned from entering Iran, their assets in Iran were confiscated, and most painfully: they are cut off from their family and friends. "I do not contact my relatives so as not to put them in danger. A single message is enough to establish a supposed connection to the 'enemy' and to reinforce any accusations of espionage. This is punishable by imprisonment or even death in Iran," says Zarbakhch. DW responded to the Iranian authorities' actions with a press release.   

Reprisals and intimidation by the regime

The severity of the regime's crackdown is also illustrated by the case of a relative of a DW editor, whose cell phone they confiscated and found video footage of protests (which he had leaked to DW). To force a confession, he was beaten and tortured during his interrogation, which led to serious physical injuries. He was eventually released on bail and is now awaiting his sentence.   

The sanctions and their consequences are "the price we pay," says Yalda Zarbakhch. "It's our duty and the least we can do for the people and our female colleagues in Iran. They are in prison, facing the death penalty. We do what they can no longer do: report."     

And that's exactly what the editorial team is doing now, more than ever. The program started as a half-hour radio broadcast in 1962; today, DW Farsi distributes its offerings via the DW website and social media – Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Telegram. The program's mission to build an intercultural bridge and explain events in and from Germany has expanded. The nearly 40-member editorial team reports primarily about and for Iran. This includes exposing disinformation and state propaganda. In particular, Zarbakhch and her team focus on security and technology topics, informing users about ways to circumvent censorship, for example.    

Usage figures increased despite censorship

Despite censorship, usage of the DW Farsi offerings has increased sharply on all digital platforms since the protests began. The Instagram channel, with 1.6 million followers, already reached 27 million views in September, and follower numbers have since multiplied across all platforms, especially on Instagram (the main usage channel for Farsi content), video views have skyrocketed, reaching 82 million video views in November alone (+415% increase vs. October 2022). November 22 was a pivotal day for the service, with a series of Reels including a mix of inspiring content and current information about the protests. These Reels alone generated more than 3 million views. Across all platforms, content from the Persian desk was accessed over 94 million times. 

"DW is considered especially credible in the region and that is our decisive advantage over other media. We know the language, we have local knowledge and regional expertise. We currently supply content to a large number of departments and language services across DW and we are in constant contact – primarily with TV news," Zarbakhch describes. The editorial team relies on user-generated content, i.e., on supplying contributions from civilians on the ground, according to the editorial director. "Many Iranians have become citizen journalists, sharing concrete information with us about what is happening. We verify the material, use our expert contacts and sort the context." Due to the abundance of images, videos and information, the editorial team in Bonn and Berlin is currently producing six times what it previously published. 

That means there is no time right now to celebrate the 60th anniversary of DW Farsi. All plans have been canceled for the time being. In any case, the employees don't feel much like celebrating these days, when people are being arrested, beaten and shot during peaceful protests in their home country.  

What does Zarbakhch wish for the future of the program? "To someday report on a free country with a free press – from a DW studio in Tehran."