Iranian Students' News Agency

The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) is a news group started by Iranian university students in December 1999.

History
The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) is based in Tehran and was started in 1999 by Abolfazl Fateh, who once worked with Iranian politician Mir Hossein Mousavi. ISNA is often mentioned by major international news agencies and is seen as a moderate news source in Iran. It was created during a time of big changes in Iranian media, especially during the presidency of reformist Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005).

ISNA reports on national and international news. Its editors and reporters are mostly students from different fields, and many work as volunteers (around 1,000 people). Abolfazl Fateh, who led ISNA from 1999 to 2005, said the agency quickly became known for covering political, cultural, scientific, and social issues in a fair way. Western media considered ISNA one of the most independent and moderate news sources in Iran, and it was often quoted. It also played a role in bringing attention to social issues and shaping public discussions.

Even though ISNA is mostly independent, it gets some financial support from the Iranian government and the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR), a student organization. Abolfazl Fateh, ISNA's first director, resigned in 2005 and was taken to court several times, including for a report on Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi. In 2003, police attacked him while he was helping ISNA reporters cover a student protest. According to The Guardian, an Iranian newspaper, Aftab-e Yazd, wrote that Fateh worked hard to ensure fair reporting and prevent false information from spreading.

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Category:Mass media in Iran