Newsweek reported that at least two reporters said they resigned from the official Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) network, and a third former presenter offered an apology, as the country was gripped by a nationwide furor after Iran shot down a passenger jet.
One of the reporters said she would "never again go back to television" and asked the audience for forgiveness.
Shop Talk panelist Rajvee Subramanian praised the bravery of the Iranian journalists who resigned. He said it’s rare to see journalists in other countries take such action.
The panelists said journalists in other countries often serve as a mouthpiece for the government or a political party. They said what’s expected of journalists in other countries differs from the role played by journalists in the U.S.
Shop Talk is a weekly panel discussion about journalism issues. This week’s program featured Will Buss, who teaches in the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University and advises the student editors at the Western Courier, the students at student radio station The Dog, and the WIU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists; Rajvee Subramanian, who teaches in the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University; and TSPR News Director Rich Egger.
