QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency, and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be very untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per-article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section for that source. See all Questionable sources.
- Overall, we rate Press TV Questionable based on the promotion of Iranian Propaganda and Conspiracies related to the West and poor sourcing and the publication of fake news.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Propaganda, Conspiracy, Poor Sourcing, Fake News, Antisemitism
Bias Rating: RIGHT
Factual Reporting: LOW
Country: Iran
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: TOTAL OPPRESSION
Media Type: TV Station
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 2007, Press TV is a 24-hour English language news and documentary network and website affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). IRIB is state-owned but independent of the Iranian government and is the only legal TV and radio broadcaster inside Iran. Press TV’s headquarters are located in Tehran.
The stated mission of the network is best summarized by Press TV CEO Mohammad Sarafraz when he said at a press conference that, “Since September 11, Western bias has divided the media into two camps: those that favor their policies make up one group and the rest of the media are attached to radical Islamic groups like Al-Qaeda. We want to show that there is a different view. In particular, Iran and the Shi’as have become a focal point of world propaganda. From the media point of view, we are trying to give a second eye to Western audiences.”
On 6/22/2021, PressTV was one of 30 domains seized by the US Government based on perceived security threats. The website returned with a new domain @ PressTV.ir.
Please read our report on how Government influences the media in Iran.
Funded by / Ownership
Press TV is state-funded and is a division of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). The head of the IRIB is appointed by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Analysis / Bias
According to Reporters Without Borders, Iran is ranked 170 out of 180 countries for press freedom. They report, “Iran has been one of the world’s most repressive countries for journalists for the past 40 years. State control of news and information is unrelenting, and at least 860 journalists and citizen journalists have been imprisoned or executed since 1979.”
In review, Press TV is an Iranian propaganda TV network and website. Several credible media outlets have criticized Press TV, such as The Guardian, who described Press TV as “the controversial 24-hour news channel funded by the Iranian government.” British journalist Nick Cohen has called the station “a platform for the full fascist conspiracy theory of supernatural Jewish power.” The right-leaning Washington Examiner has described them this way “If you like crackpot conspiracy theories or you’re interested in what the Iranian government wants you to believe, then pay a visit to Press TV!”
A news article review demonstrates a mixture of true unbiased news reporting such as this Democratic candidates may boycott debate due to strike. In contrast, others are overt conspiracy theories negative toward the west such as this: Trump is completely controlled by criminal Zionists: Writer. This article is not sourced and makes debunked 9/11 conspiracy claims such as this “Evidence has proven that the 9/11 attacks were planned, carried out, and covered up by neocon factions in the US government with heavy Israeli impetus. Yet the official narrative still implicates 19 fictional hijackers, of which 15 were said to be Saudi nationals.” In general, if it involves the USA or Israel, you can bank on it being negative and most likely misleading and/or false.
Failed Fact Checks
Press TV has such a bad reputation for publishing/reporting questionable content that a Wiki page is titled “Press TV Controversies,” highlighting the many times they have made antisemitic and false claims. Rather than listing them all here, we recommend you check out this Wiki page for more details.
- “Damascus says the U.S. is fully responsible for the adverse outcome of its criminal policies against Syria, calling on Washington to … compensate for the losses the nation has suffered as a result of the American military aggression and troop deployment.” – False
- “During the episode, American forces confiscated the tanker that was carrying a cargo of Iranian oil in the strategic Sea of Oman, transferring its consignment of crude to another vessel.” – False
- Russia’s missile attack on the NATO training base at Javoriv killed 180 foreign mercenaries – False
Overall, we rate Press TV Questionable based on the promotion of Iranian Propaganda and Conspiracies related to the West and poor sourcing and the publication of fake news. (D. Van Zandt 5/18/2016) Updated (03/18/2022)
Source: https://www.presstv.ir/
Last Updated on August 25, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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