Tasnim CEO Expounds on Launch of Space News Section


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – CEO of Tasnim News Agency Majid Gholizadeh highlighted the rationale for establishing a dedicated section at the news agency for reporting space and astronomy news.

"Everyone knows that space knowledge is at the cutting edge of technology worldwide, and any country that possesses or grows in this industry can naturally advance in many other fields in knowledge, industry, and technology," Gholizadeh stated at a ceremony held to inaugurate the section.

The special space and astronomy news section of Tasnim News Agency commenced its activities on Thursday morning during the ceremony attended by the Iranian Administration's Spokesperson Ali Bahadori Jahromi, Head of Iran Space Agency (ISA) Hassan Salariyeh, Head of Iran’s Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences Mohammad Javad Larijani, Spokesperson for the Defense Ministry’s Space Division Ahmad Hosseini Mounes, and a number of Iranian space and astronomy scientists.

The CEO of Tasnim welcomed the guests and thanked the officials who showed a special interest in this field.

He elaborated on the motivations for the launch of this specialized section and cited the "importance of the space industry for a country as one of the most crucial components of national power" as the first factor.

He emphasized that the space industry is a strategic and important one, and that having a dominant position in it can be a crucial pillar in enhancing a country's national power. He pointed out that Iran is one of the nations with knowledge in the field of space, and that it is growing even stronger in this field.

The second factor for holding such an event was the revival of Iran's space industry under President Ebrahim Raisi's administration, according to Gholizadeh, who identified Dr. Salariyeh as one of the leading scientists in this field in Iran and possibly the entire world.

Unfortunately, he said, this industry had experienced stagnation and discouragement among scientists in this field for eight years for a number of reasons. However, the sector has been revitalized under President Raisi's administration, thanks to his focus and the scientists' dedication, and fortunately, Iran now has a lot of hope in this field, he stated.

The opening and operation of Iran's National Observatory over the past few years were also mentioned by Gholizadeh. He emphasized that the observatory is one of the operational projects of the Institute for Fundamental Sciences and that it represents a significant development for Iran and the Islamic world in the field of astronomy. The observatory opened in the Persian calendar year 1400 (March 2021- March 2022). He referred to it as one of Iran's important scientific institutions in recent years.

Regarding the event's second pillar, "media," Gholizadeh stated that the Tasnim News Agency, as a media outlet driven by national and societal ideas and motivations rather than partisan interests, has established a special section in collaboration with friends from the government's space agency to cover and produce news in the strategic fields of space and astronomy.

He emphasized the significant amount of effort and time that has gone into laying the groundwork for this initiative, with the goal of contributing to advancing the Islamic Republic of Iran's space goals.

Gholizadeh emphasized that "media," without collaboration and coordination with the "field" - which is now undeniably the space field - cannot play its proper role and may be diminished. Conversely, without media representation, the field cannot achieve its desired success, he said.

The convergence and coordination of media and the field can create a synergy that propels both the field and the media forward, making the media more impactful and issue-focused, he said.

He expressed his willingness to support all those working in a manner to strengthen Iran's national power, emphasizing that the Tasnim News Agency declares its willingness to provide media assistance to them.

Gholizadeh went on to say that "truth" in today's world requires two components: "power" and "media." He explained that without national power, a nation appears weak and insignificant, subject to humiliation at the hands of oppressors and imperialists. With national power, however, a country can become an admired model for others, and its ideas and innovations can become influential.

Regarding the second element, "media," he stated that if we consider the current era to be the "era of media," we acknowledge that the world is primarily perceived and judged through the lens of the media.

"The media can portray a tangible force and significant power as insignificant, or it can strengthen a moderate or even weak power and portray it as a robust and active player. As a result, we must become powerful on the one hand, while also acknowledging the role of media in authentically representing this power on the other."

The CEO of the Tasnim News Agency concluded by highlighting the crucial event of merging Iran's tangible power with the power of the media and asserting that such events, combinations, and synergies may be the key to the nation's victorious passage through the enemy's "hybrid warfare".

He also expressed hope that today's numerous threats against Iran and Islam will be transformed into unparalleled opportunities.