Working in the journalism field has become one of the most dangerous occupations in Iran. The government has been cracking down on journalists (both professional and citizen) since protests began following the controversial presidential election in 2009. As a result, many journalists who are considered by the Iranian regime to be "activists" have been arrested or have had their lives threatened.
Mir Hossein Mousavi, owner of the suspended newspaper Kalameh Sabaz, was arrested along with his wife in March of 2011. The Tehran public prosecutor did not say why they had been arrested, which defies Article 32 of the Iranian constitution. Article 32 says:
"No-one may be arrested except in cases and according to methods laid down by the law. In the event of an arrest, the person(s) must immediately be told why and informed of any charges against them."
According to the international media group Reporters Without Borders, between 2009-2010 at least 170 journalists and bloggers were arrested in Iran with sentences totaling more than 135 years. The group has ranked Iran alongside China as the worlds biggest prison for journalists. Other Iranian writers and journalists living in exile have received death threats from intelligence agencies. The government has even sentenced those who have sent text messages to their friends.
Despite the prevention of free press by the government, journalists throughout Iran still strive to report objective news. The use of traditional media has begun to take a back seat to alternative methods of journalism such as blogging.