In the first few days of war Shargh reported the entry of the Israeli army into southern Lebonan. This simple piece of news angered [state-owned] Keyhan so much that it warned, and threatened, Shargh against publishing any news that would seem to portray Hezbollah as weak. From then on, all the news in the Iranian media of the war became completely one-sided, and the whole business turned into a part of the propaganda machine of the Islamic republic. [...] In the war between Israel and Hezbollah, all the media in Iran were put on pressure to arrange their news so it reflects Hezbollah's strength and Israel's weakness, as if the result of the war would be determined on the paper sheets of the press in Iran, and not in southern Lebonan. Surprising as it may be, Iran's state media took their proof for the weakness and defeat of Israel from the Israeli newspapers and quoted Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Maariv, and Yedioth Aharanoth one after another. But they never asked themselves once how it is possible that the media of the country that is itself a party of the war can attack the military policy of their government with no fear and reveal its weaknesses and defeats, but the media of Iran, which has only an alliance with Hezbollah, should not be able to run a headline on the entrance of the Israeli army into Lebonan.

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