The Western world is hungry for news about the aftermath of Iran’s disputed presidential election. But reporters on the ground in Tehran are severely limited by government restrictions on their movement and access.
Some news outlets are holding out for in-depth stories from their international correspondents. Others, feeling the pressure of time, are turning to Twitter and other instant mediums for information that their reporters on the ground cannot get—or cannot get, verify, and contextualize quickly enough for a frantic news cycle.
Many readers are turning to blogs and Twitter as alternative sources of information. But, for better or for worse, the legacy media is still driving the master narrative. So, as a news consumer, when it comes to the situation in Iran, what do you want the media to be telling you that it is not? What information is the media flooding you with that you don’t feel the need to know? In short: What are you looking to the media for on Iran?
The Editors are the staffers of the Columbia Journalism Review.