[1] "Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) was born in an era of major paradigmatic transformations in Iran's press and public discourse, which took place largely under the presidency of reformist Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005)".[2] The agency's main founder and first director Abolfazl Fateh, who resigned in late 2005, was taken to the court on several occasions, including for a report on Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist.In a society that seemingly had experience of major changes initiated by unofficial media, as had happened during the Islamic Revolution (Sreberny-Mohammadi 1990), or by few periodicals and a newspaper with a small circulation together with student activists, as had happened during the reform movement (Khāniki 1998), this news source had and demonstrated the potential to bring about a considerable change in Iran's media content and its functions.ISNA may not be framed as a news agency or fit a specific model; however, it was a symbol of the media that "reflect and direct at the same time" (Deuze 2009, p. 457).[12] Meanwhile, the Thesis confirms "ISNA suffered from certain shortcomings having to do with how it operates – for example, not operating twenty four hours a day; not presenting news according to established professional standards; not having a multilingual website; having educational, editorial and technological weaknesses; focusing on domestic activities and news, and not having vast regional or international branches; and, most importantly, financial dependence on the government.However, under the circumstances that prevailed at the time, it would be safe to say that it provided the best possible and strategic way to set up a relatively reliable but constant information flow in the country during this period".These unique characteristics explain the success and impact of ISNA on the media scene in Iran, providing the key to its early development and survival.
