In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Difference between freedom and treachery of the pen
At the same time, that the newspapers are respectable and extremely effective institutions; however, they must conduct themselves based on journalistic standards and service to the nation. Freedom of the pen and freedom of speech do not imply that a person is free to write against the interest of the country and against a revolution at the altar of which people have given blood. Such a freedom is not correct. The pen is free to write about the problems, but not that it should plot against the Revolution. The Speech is freedom to write on any subject; and that too on subjects that are given to it. It is free to write on all individuals without scheming. When we saw that some subject matter was written in a daily newspaper about persons who were stooges of foreigners and who wanted to once again ruin our country, and on the other hand, articles and subjects that pertain to the problems of the movement, pertain to the issues of Islam, are either censored or not written about at all, then we cannot accord respect to such a newspaper. We do accord respect to the journalist provided he understands what the meaning of freedom of speech and freedom of the pen is. It is said that people are free, in other words, does it mean that he is free to hit the people on the head and break their skull? Is he free to break the rules? Is he free to act against the course of the nation? Is he free to plot against the nation? These are not freedom. He is free within the bounds of the law, within the bounds of sanity. In addition, we notice in certain newspapers- now I will not name the newspapers- that they take undue advantage of freedom on the assumption or under the impression that they want to wrest the freedom away from the people. These people with the hardship that they have suffered in these long years and the blood that they have given in the past two years want to be free. Some of the newspapers want to take away this freedom from them and in the name of" freedom of the pen", act against the direction of the nation. Some of the newspapers are giving an open hand to certain individuals who wish to stifle the nation, who want to indulge in looting and plunder; and this is not the meaning of freedom, this means treason; what is given to the nation is freedom not treachery. It is freedom of the pen and not treason of the pen. It is freedom of expression, not the expression of treachery.
Newspapers, manifestation of the ideals of the nation
The newspapers must be in the service of the country not against the revolution of the country. Newspapers that are against the country's revolution are traitors. Newspapers must reflect the hopes and wishes of the nation. They must reflect on those issues which the nation wants. However, they are also free to mention other subjects also that someone talks about, but they are not free to plot. From some of the newspapers we perceive plots, because we see that they write on issues that go against the Revolution with exaggerations and lengthy analysis, whereas they fail to either write or make passing references on matters that are in favor of the Revolution. These sorts of newspapers are not acceptable to our nation. People do not buy such newspapers. Moreover, if the people are told that this newspaper is such, they themselves will not buy it. These people are free not to purchase it, and after they stop purchasing it, the newspaper will be closed down; just as some newspapers were closed down, because the people did not purchase them.
It is to your benefit that from now on, you pay attention to this point that you should move in the direction of the nation. Move along in the same direction that the nation is moving, and do not go against the objectives of the nation in the name of freedom of the pen. Some of these people are members of the editorial board and you know that they cannot be reformed, and they will not reform; they are agents of outsiders; they want to open the hands of foreigners on our country. We must remove them from their posts. There are plenty of writers; another writer can take over the job.
The media, the educators of the nation
In any case, all the mass media are the educators of a country; they must educate the country; the individuals of a country; and they must serve the nation. The newspaper is of the people and for the people; and should it want to go against the direction of the nation; the nation itself will oppose it. It is not necessary that their opposition be in entering the premises, and smashing and breaking things, no. They will not do such a thing, but the newspaper is for the reader and if there is no readership, then there is no newspaper. The radio is for the people to listen to; when they turn their radios off and there are no listeners, there is no radio. In any case, the media is to serve the nation, not to go against the direction of the nation. Every writer who wishes to write against the line of the nation will earn a bad name for the newspaper; and it will be accused of not being a nationalist newspaper and being in the service of foreigners. And this of course, is against the interest of the newspaper, and against the profession of journalism. A journalist must maintain his self-respect; to maintain self-respect is to move in the direction of the nation, to be at the service of the nation. Should they act against the direction of the nation and against the wishes of the people, then they will no longer be respected by the nation. This is the advice I am giving to those of you who have come here. And of course, I am thankful to you for your previously calling a strike and striking together and performing your job despite the strike. May you be successful, God willing.
May God's peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.