Islamic Republic News Agency

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA; or ایرنا) is the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Founded in November 1934 as Pars News Agency during the time of Reza Shah, it is government-funded and controlled under the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The agency also publishes the newspaper Iran. As of September 2024, the managing director of IRNA was Hossein Jaberi-Ansari. IRNA has 60 offices in Iran and 30 more in various countries around the world.[1]

History

1934–78

In 1934, Pars Agency was established by the Foreign Ministry of Iran (Persia) as the country's official national news outlet.[2] For the next six years it operated under the Iranian Foreign Ministry working to disseminate national and international news. Pars Agency published a bulletin twice daily in French and Persian, which it circulated among government officials, international news agencies in Tehran and the local press.

Iranian Cultural and Press Institute & News Faculty

The News Faculty was established by the Islamic Republic News Agency in response to the growing need of the country's developing media system and the lack of journalism programs in higher education institutions. Since 1997, the college has been admitting students to train journalists, editors, chief editors, and news photographers for various media outlets. In a resolution passed on December 23, 2017, the High Council of Administrative Affairs decided that research institutions affiliated with executive bodies would no longer be allowed to admit students in any academic program starting from the 2018–2019 academic year. Furthermore, centers offering applied-scientific education under executive bodies were to either close or be transferred to eligible private entities by the end of the same academic year. In line with this resolution, the Tehran Faculty News was transferred to the Iranian Cultural and Press Institute starting from the 2020–2021 academic semester. Consequently, the provincial branches of the College of News located in Shiraz, Mashhad, Ahvaz, Ardabil, and Meybod (Yazd) ceased operations.

The Iranian Cultural and Press Institute was founded in 1994 as part of the Islamic Republic News Agency's efforts to advance its media objectives. Operating under IRNA's license, the institute began publishing the Iran (newspaper) two years later. In 1996, it also launched Iran Sepid, the first Braille newspaper in the country. The institute began publishing Al-Vefagh in Arabic and Iran Daily in English starting in 1997. Another publication under the umbrella of the institute is Iran Varzeshi, a sports newspaper. Among IRNA's other media initiatives was the launch of IRNA Film in 2011, which became the first dedicated news video website in Iran. IRNA introduced two digital platforms: IRNA Maqaleh (IRNA Articles) and the School of Journalism, in August 2014. These platforms aim to establish IRNA as a major educational and research-based news hub in Iran's digital space.[11]

location	Iran
owner	Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance
key people	Hossein Jaberi-Ansari
founded	13 November 1934 (as Pars News Agency)
abbreviation	IRNA
former name	Pars News Agency (1934–1981)
website	http://www.irna.ir

Islamic Republic News Agency

History

1934–78

1979–present

Controversies

Privatization

Iranian Cultural and Press Institute & News Faculty

External links

References