The mass media in Iran is both privately and publicly owned but all channels are subject to censorship. In 2016, Iran had 178 newspapers, 83 magazines, 15,000 information sites and two million blogs.[1]A special court has authority to monitor the print media and may suspend publication, or revoke the licenses, of papers or journals that a jury finds guilty of publishing anti-religious or slanderous material or information detrimental to the national interest. The Iranian media is prohibited from criticizing Islamic doctrine (as interpreted by the Iranian government).[citation needed]
A number of foreign broadcasts are transmitted into the country, including Persian language programmes from BBC Persian TV, Kol Israel and Radio Farda; however, these broadcasts are occasionally countered by radio jamming.[4] The government engages in censorship programs with respect to anything that diverges from national laws and regulations.[5][6] The majority of Iranians - upwards of 80 percent - get their news from government-owned media.[7] Attempts to establish private, independent media outlets in Iran have been restricted or quashed, and Reporters Without Borders has declared Iran to have the highest number of jailed journalists in the Middle East. Under the 1979 Iranian Constitution, all broadcasting must exclusively be government-operated and, in 1994, the Islamic Republic banned the use of satellite television.[8] In spite of which, over 30 percent of Iranians do in fact watch satellite television channels.[9]