Khorshid

Khorshid, meaning “The Sun” in Persian, was an Iranian daily newspaper published in Tehran for a brief period between October 2008 and March 2009. It was established by Muhammad Paryab, who had served as an aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and was owned by Iran’s Social Security Organization, a state institution. The publication was managed by Saeed Mortazavi, a prominent Iranian official who was also associated with the country’s judiciary and press regulation. The newspaper appeared as a full-color tabloid and covered a broad range of subjects, including political affairs, general news, sports, and entertainment such as television soap operas. Its format and editorial breadth were designed for mass-market readership rather than specialist political or business audiences. International reporting characterized it as a publication broadly comparable in style and popular orientation to The Sun newspaper in the United Kingdom, although its political role was primarily domestic. Khorshid supported Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and advocated his position during the 2009 Iranian presidential election period. Its political alignment reflected the newspaper’s institutional and managerial connections with figures associated with Ahmadinejad’s administration. The paper therefore functioned not only as a general-interest tabloid but also as a media outlet aligned with the incumbent political camp. The publication did not survive long enough to establish a durable national media franchise. It ceased publication in March 2009, with the available account attributing its closure to economic difficulties and the resignation of journalists. No continuing website, successor brand, or independently documented corporate structure is identified in the available reference material. Khorshid is consequently best understood as a defunct Iranian newspaper brand whose significance lies in its brief appearance in the politically competitive Iranian press environment preceding the 2009 presidential election.

Khorshid was a Tehran-based Iranian daily newspaper that operated for only a few months from October 2008 to March 2009. Its name, خورشید, means “The Sun” in Persian. The paper was founded by Muhammad Paryab, an aide to then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and was owned by the Social Security Organization, a state institution. Saeed Mortazavi managed the publication. The newspaper was designed as a full-color tabloid with a wide editorial range. Its content included political reporting, general news, sports, and entertainment features such as coverage of television soap operas. This combination placed Khorshid in the mass-market newspaper sector rather than in the narrower category of an explicitly specialist or partisan political journal. Its visual and editorial style was described by international observers as resembling that of The Sun in the United Kingdom, a comparison based on its tabloid format and broad popular appeal. Despite its general-interest presentation, Khorshid had a distinct political orientation. It supported Ahmadinejad and promoted his position during the 2009 presidential election. The newspaper’s founder, ownership by a state-linked institution, and management by a politically prominent official connected it to the broader media environment surrounding the Ahmadinejad administration. Its brief existence therefore combined commercial newspaper ambitions with an identifiable political alignment. Khorshid’s operating life was short. By March 2009, economic problems had undermined the publication, while the resignation of journalists further weakened its ability to continue. The newspaper subsequently folded. The available reference material does not identify a successor publication, continuing digital operation, independently reported circulation figures, or a later revival of the brand. Khorshid is consequently recorded as a defunct Iranian newspaper rather than an ongoing media company. Its historical importance is primarily as a short-lived pro-Ahmadinejad tabloid that appeared in the politically charged period immediately before Iran’s 2009 presidential election.

• 2009

  Political support for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

  [1]Khorshid (newspaper)en.wikipedia.org

  During the 2009 presidential election period, Khorshid advocated the candidacy and political position of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

• 2009

  Publication ends

  [1]Khorshid (newspaper)en.wikipedia.org

  Khorshid ceased publication in March after economic difficulties and the resignation of journalists.

• 2008

  Khorshid is established

  [1]Khorshid (newspaper)en.wikipedia.org

  Muhammad Paryab established Khorshid, a full-color daily newspaper published from Tehran and owned by the Social Security Organization.

A mass-market Iranian full-color tabloid with broad general-interest coverage and a clear pro-Mahmoud Ahmadinejad political orientation.

• Newspaper · 2008

  Khorshid daily newspaper

  Khorshid was a full-color Iranian tabloid daily published in Tehran. It carried a mixture of political and general news, sports reporting, and entertainment material, including coverage of television soap operas. Although broad in subject matter and aimed at popular readership, the paper maintained a pro-Mahmoud Ahmadinejad editorial orientation during the 2009 presidential election period.

• 2009

  Political alignment with Mahmoud AhmadinejadStrategy

  Background

  Khorshid operated in the politically contested period preceding Iran’s 2009 presidential election. Its founder had been an aide to Ahmadinejad, and the publication was connected through ownership and management to state-linked institutions and officials.

  Action taken

  The newspaper advocated Ahmadinejad and supported his political position during the election period.

  Aftermath

  Khorshid folded in March 2009 amid economic problems and journalist resignations; the available material does not establish that its political stance directly caused the closure.

  Source

• 2009

  Decision to cease publicationOther

  Background

  The newspaper faced economic problems, and journalists resigned during its brief operating period.

  Action taken

  Khorshid ended its publication run in March 2009.

  Aftermath

  The newspaper became defunct after less than a year of operation.

  Source

1. 1Khorshid (newspaper)en.wikipedia.org