The List-Making Phenomenon for IRIB Chief: Is Peyman Jebeli on His Way Out?

In recent weeks, alongside names proposed as candidates for the head of IRIB, some have begun compiling lists and including their own names on them.

According to Mehr reporter, with the end of Peyman Jabali's five-year term at the head of the Broadcasting Organization, speculations about his stay or departure have become one of the permanent topics of the official media and cyberspace. The 7th Mehr was the anniversary of Jabali's appointment, and several weeks before the end of Jabali's presidency, several names were proposed as possible options to succeed him. Some of the names in these lists were names from within the radio and television body, some were names that the owners themselves stated in interviews that they were unaware of their names being mentioned, and some were strange names that were heard by the audience for the first time.

Numerous speculative lists for the leadership of the Directorate of Broadcasting

The publication of the list of possible options for the presidency of Sedavasima began before the month of Mehr and at the same time as the end of Jabali's term of office was approaching. Some of these lists circulated in the official space and of course often in the virtual space and Telegram channels. However, due to the spread of social networks, names became widespread very soon. In these lists, familiar and even less heard names, from managers to people with a long history in the broadcasting organization, and even political and executive figures and people with management records in governments, were placed next to each other.

With the publication of each list, the discussion about people's backgrounds, their familiarity with the structure of radio and television and the possibility of their presence at the head of this organization also flourished.

In such an atmosphere and about a month before the end of Jabali's term, he held an exhibition of the achievements of the evolution of radio and television, and television reviewed the actions and performance of this term in various programs. This approach was an attempt so that the head of the broadcasting company could somehow present the five-year management record and highlight the achievements of the organization.

However, holding an exhibition and reciting the achievements by itself was not an answer to the main question about the future of the presidency of Sedavsima. The question remained whether the current management was to continue or someone else would take over the responsibility of the organization. Jabali himself talked about his lack of knowledge about this issue every time in the group of journalists and that he is subordinate to whatever decision the leader of the revolution takes.

The return of lists and the phenomenon of list making!

With Mehr approaching, the publication of possible lists of options for the presidency of Sedavsima once again flourished in the media and cyberspace. This time, however, the names of some faces were seen with more repetition and seriousness in these lists; A process that raised the question whether the repetition of names is just the result of media speculation or some are trying to present themselves as a serious option for the head of the organization by constantly appearing in these lists! In fact, what attracted more attention than the publication of the lists was the repetition of some names in the media and virtual circles; That too, in a situation where there was no clear information about the basis of the design of these names. This process gradually provided the basis for the formation of doubts, such as whether the frequent prominence of some people's names is merely the result of speculations or an attempt to establish a name in the head of a large organization in the minds of the audience.

Designing the names in this way is more similar to making lists, as if it is only going to benefit from the repetition of names widely in social networks and make names come to the attention of the audience with more emphasis. Emphasis and repetition of these lists in cyberspace with this wide spread also strengthens the suspicion that the story is a project and costs billions. In this way, it seems that some people are trying to keep their names at the top of the lists in social networks with huge expenses. Even some names have been proposed by the project takers without their will and more in the direction of destroying the person in question, rather than just completing the main project!

Projecting people's names as possible options on the eve of management changes is not a new thing, but when a name without new information appears successively in different lists, one must ask about the origin and function of this repetition.

Waiting for a change or defending the continuation of the course

With the design of numerous lists of media activists, critics and radio audiences are waiting for a change at the head of this organization. From the point of view of the group of supporters of change, the end of the five-year period of Jebeli is an opportunity to review media policies, management methods, how to deal with diverse social tastes and the issue of the audience. Especially, the achievement of this course in serialization, programming, branding of faces, etc. has not been very satisfactory for them. For them, the discussion of change is not only about the transfer of a manager; Rather, the main question is what answer the future management will have for the accumulated challenges of the national media.

On the other hand, there are those who defend the continuation of Jebeli's activity and believe that the evaluation of the organization's performance should be done by taking into account the general conditions of the country, the existing limitations and the difficulties of media administration with this extent. From this point of view, changing the manager alone is not a guarantee to solve the problems, and every decision about the future of radio and television should be considered according to the plans, priorities and the possibility of their implementation.

Now, with the end of the five-year period of Peyman Jabali, eyes are still fixed on the Jam Jam glass building. The published lists, the display of the achievements of the current period and the discussions of the pros and cons, each have formed a part of the atmosphere surrounding this decision, but it must be seen in the end, whether the management of the radio and television will continue with the extension of Jabali's responsibility, or someone else will be at the helm of this organization. More important than the name of the elected person, is what vision the final decision will draw for the future of the national media and to what extent it can answer the questions and demands about its performance.