Asal Akhavan has her own cultural radio show aimed at exiled Iranians. Photo: Helle Nordberg/IMS

Two young Iranian journalists living in exile speak to IMS about their lives and what they perceive as a growing gap between exiled and Iran-based journalists 

By Helle Nordberg, IMS 

In a remote house on the harbour-front in Copenhagen, five Iranian journalists sit in deep concentration hovering over their computers under large headsets. After three intensive days of radio-feature production training run by the Danish digital magazine Third Ear, they are editing their individual radio productions.

The majority of the Iranian journalists participating in the seven-day radio feature workshop have been forced to leave their country to protect themselves and their families from persecution by the state because their work was deemed in opposition to the government. Some continue to be persecuted by Iranian authorities in their countries of exile.

Changing society through culture, not politics

Mary (name changed) moved from Iran to Sweden in the late noughties to study media and communications. Once she left, she knew she would not return. However, she faces the same challenge as many other Iranian students studying abroad. In order to stay in the country, she needs to find a job once she has finalised her studies.

- You cannot work as a journalist in Iran. Most of the writing is political and I do not think this is the way to bring about change in Iran.

- I think the way to change society is through culture where the patriarchical structure in Iranian society is a major problem. What is missing from Iranian opposition activities and writing within Iran is a positive approach – something that focuses on other topics than troubles and struggles.

Growing gap between Iranians inside and outside Iran

Mary also points to a growing gap in the understanding between Iranians abroad and those inside. Often those inside feel that those who have gone abroad are failing the country and those left inside. Many of those on the outside suffer from identity crises, feeling torn between their home country and rootless existence in exile abroad.

- There is a need for people stories, something about the everyday lives of people inside and outside Iran. Something which can broach the understanding between the two, says Mary.

Radio feature workshop

The radio feature workshop, funded by IMS, is aimed at exactly this. Most of the Iranian journalists in the workshop have a background in university radio from abroad as well as in Tehran and now produce radio programmes for other Iranians, inside and outside Iran. The workshop provides an introduction to in-depth portraits of people which goes further than the concept of “talk-radio” which is what most of the Iranian journalists are familiar with.

According to Krister Moltzen, co-founder of Third Ear, the format employed on Danish radio is different from that familiar to the Iranian journalists participating in the course with a greater focus on sound effects and interview technique.

- As an exercise, we asked the journalists to interview each other under the theme of “The day I left Iran” to produce a five-minute radio feature which is brought to life through the techniques we have taught them. By describing the smell of a place at a certain moment, what they see and applying appropriate sounds you can make radio extraordinarily visual, explains Krister Moltzen.

Banned from studying

23 year-old Asal Akhavan left Iran 1.5 years ago and now lives in Australia. In Iran she was studying for a BA in journalism, but was banned by the authorities from completing her degree.

- I wrote critical articles of the government and was involved in women’s rights movements. I participated in demonstrations for students’ rights following the Government’s shut-down of the University’s student council in the run-up to the council’s student elections for the council. The authorities forbade us to demonstrate, but we did it anyway.

As a result of her student activist activities, Asal Akhavan was initially banned for one semester as one of a handful of people. The practice of preventing students from completing their studies has now become more usual, but at the time, Asal Akhavan was one of the first to experience this.  

- In order to complete my studies, I applied to a university in Melbourne and was accepted. I left Iran legally, but continued my activist activities in Australia, publishing news about the government on a website. I also run a non-political radio talk show once a week in Persian.  

My body is in Australia, my mind is in Iran

After the elections in the summer of 2009, Mary went back to Iran for a month. Family and friends were worried about her as the authorities had their eye on her. Many of her journalist friends ended up in jail following the street demonstrations during the elections.

- I have many friends still in prison and the authorities have also harassed my father about my activities. So I chose to leave Iran again for my family. Now I have been told that I am banned from returning.

At a relatively young age, Asal Akhavan is making her way in Australia with family and friends far away and with the pressure of securing a job before her visa runs out.

She feels that journalism is a way to bring about change. She continues to write and do radio and uses the strong network of exiled Iranian journalists on Facebook and on various websites.

- If I ever lose hope, I will think of the people I have met at this workshop who keep on fighting and are strong despite what they have been through.  

Notes to the editor:

The participation of five Iranian exiled journalists in the radio feature workshop in Copenhagen is part of the IMS Twinning programme which connects Danish and Arab media professionals.

The goal of the IMS-funded radio feature workshop was to:

- To give the participants an understanding of the radio-feature genre. There is much to be learned from this genre in terms of dramaturgy, interview technique and recording/editing techniques, which can be used in all fields of radio-production also in the radio news field.

- To help the participants produce a short radio-feature (5 minutes) each. At the end of the workshop each participant will have recorded and edited a short feature while being in Copenhagen. All the participants will bring this compilation home for use on their own radio channels.

Third Ear is an independent digital magazine focused on producing high quality radio-features for podcasting. The staff at Third Ear all have many years of experience in the field of radio-feature production and have won several international prizes for their work. Third Ear’s productions are financed by the Danish Arts Council.