Hamshahri, Iran’s leading newspaper, has a cornerstone position in the country’s media scene for decades. Since it began, this powerful publication has an essential role to shape public opinion and give a platform to news and discussion in Iranian society. Hamshahri newspaper has changed with the times growing its reach through Hamshahri Online to meet its readers’ shifting needs in the digital era.
The article will explore the long history and beginnings of Hamshahri. It will look into what the newspaper focuses on and the different types of content it gives its readers. The piece will also check out how many people read Hamshahri and who these readers are.
This will show how much it impacts and how popular it is among Iranians. To wrap up, the article will think about how important Hamshahri is in Iran’s news world and how it keeps informing and getting people involved.
This will show how much it impacts and how popular it is among Iranians. To wrap up, the article will think about how important Hamshahri is in Iran’s news world and how it keeps informing and getting people involved.
History and Founding of Hamshahri
The vision of Gholamhossein Karbaschi
Hamshahri, which means “citizen” in Persian, began in 1990 [link_1]. Gholamhossein Karbaschi, Tehran’s mayor at that time, started it. Karbaschi wanted to make a newspaper that showed what mattered to the city and its people. He used city money to set up Hamshahri. His goal was to create a way to talk about city problems and make life better for people in Tehran.
Karbaschi made gutsy choices as mayor. He limited car access to downtown Tehran and took down walls around city parks. Hamshahri reported on these actions in detail. The paper became a way to share the mayor’s plans and connect with people. But Karbaschi’s methods stirred up trouble. He acted like a dictator at times. For example, he painted shop fronts without asking owners and then billed them for it. This angered the city’s merchants and conservative religious leaders.
Launch as Iran’s first colored daily newspaper
Hamshahri made its mark as Iran’s first daily newspaper to print in color. This fresh take on newspaper production made it stand out from other Iranian publications. The paper’s coverage of city services, traffic and pollution issues, along with cultural and educational topics, struck a chord with its readers.
The newspaper tailored its content to meet the evolving demands of Iranian society. Daryaei, an experienced journalist linked to Hamshahri, said, “After we finished the long eight-year war other papers kept printing the same stories. We decided that since rebuilding had started, we would begin showing people ways to spend their time, relax, and live like citizens.”
People often drew parallels between Hamshahri’s style of journalism and that of USA Today. The newspaper included a crossword puzzle, weather forecasts, and a business section. This section provided quotes from the Tehran stock exchange and information on foreign investments in Iran. One feature that readers enjoyed was the “Calling Hamshahri” column. This section gave readers a platform to express their thoughts on civic matters.
Early challenges and growth
Even with its groundbreaking approach, Hamshahri ran into several problems in its early days. The paper’s links to Tehran’s city government and its perceived backing of certain politicians sparked debates. During the 1997 Iranian presidential race, conservatives accused Hamshahri of supporting Mohammad Khatami, which they saw as against the law for a paper that got government money.
These claims ended up putting Karbaschi on trial for stealing money, and he got jail time. In Khatami’s second term, Tehran’s press court decided that people could get Hamshahri within Tehran’s city limits, which cut down on how far it could reach.
Despite these hurdles, Hamshahri grew . In just three years after its launch, the newspaper had a daily circulation of 356,000, which was more than all its main rivals put together. By 2014, Hamshahri’s daily circulation had increased to over 400,000 copies matching big U.S. newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, and Chicago Tribune.
A local poll by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in March 2014 showed how much people liked the newspaper. The results proved that Hamshahri was the top daily in Tehran, with 44.1% of the city’s people picking it as their favorite newspaper.
Hamshahri’s triumph led to a boom in Iranian newspapers. During Khatami’s early presidency, newspaper numbers shot up to over 850, and daily circulation jumped from about 400,000 to more than 2 million.
As Hamshahri grew, it broadened its reach through Hamshahri Online adjusting to shifts in media and rising demand for digital content. This step kept the newspaper relevant and easy to access for more readers in the digital era.
Editorial Focus and Content
News coverage and reporting style
Hamshahri newspaper has become a key news source in Iran. It covers many subjects. The paper focuses on local, national, and world news. It pays special attention to city matters and services. Hamshahri tries to meet the shifting needs of Iranian society. It gives a new take on current happenings and social topics.
The newspaper focuses on what Tehran and its people care about. It covers things like traffic, pollution issues, and culture and education topics. This approach clicks with readers helping Hamshahri gain popularity and a big readership. By giving useful and up-to-date info, the paper stays one of Iran’s top newspapers.
People often compare Hamshahri’s style to big international papers like USA Today. It includes fun stuff like crosswords, weather reports, and a business part with Tehran stock market quotes and updates on foreign money coming into Iran. These features make for a good read that many different people enjoy.
Special sections and supplements
One thing that sets Hamshahri apart is its big classified ad section. The paper devotes over 60 pages to these ads, which has helped it become a major player in Iran’s print media world. Readers looking to buy or sell stuff turn to this section making Hamshahri a go-to source for reliable info.
Hamshahri also runs a popular feature called “Calling Hamshahri.” This column lets readers speak up about issues in their city. It gets people involved in their community and gives them a way to bring up local problems and worries.
Hamshahri also has special sections that dive into different parts of city living, like culture, education, and social issues. These dedicated parts give readers a deep look at topics that matter to them making the newspaper more interesting and useful for its audience.
Digital presence and online platform
Aware of digital media’s rising significance, Hamshahri has widened its reach through Hamshahri Online. This digital platform helps the newspaper to adjust to the changing media scene and fulfill its readers’ new needs in the digital era. Hamshahri Online has been up and running since 1996 making it one of the first online Persian newspapers in Iran.
The online platform gives access to a huge store of news articles from 1996 onwards giving readers a useful tool to research and understand historical context. The digital archive has content from many writers covering lots of topics, each with a good amount of data.
Hamshahri’s online presence has made its content more accessible and far-reaching. Readers beyond Tehran’s physical distribution limits can now access the newspaper’s content. This move to digital has helped Hamshahri stay relevant and have an impact on the digital media scene.
The newspaper shows its dedication to digital breakthroughs through its efforts to sort and arrange its online content. Hamshahri’s staff sorts articles into different subjects. This makes it easier for readers to find information on specific topics that interest them. This reader-friendly way of organizing content has boosted the popularity and usefulness of Hamshahri Online.
As Hamshahri grows, it keeps its focus on giving readers useful and interesting information in both print and online formats. The newspaper has adapted to new ways people consume media, but still concentrates on city issues and wide-ranging news coverage. This has strengthened its place as a top publication in Iran’s media scene.
Circulation and Readership
Print circulation figures
Hamshahri newspaper has undergone major shifts in its circulation over time. When it first started, the publication grew hitting a daily circulation of 356,000 in just three years. By 2014, Hamshahri was printing over 400,000 copies each day matching big U.S. papers like the San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, and Chicago Tribune.
But in the past few years, newspapers all over the world have seen fewer people buying print copies, and Hamshahri hasn’t escaped this problem. By mid-August 2017, Hamshahri was selling about 180,000 copies each day. This drop shows how people are changing the way they get their news and how online platforms are becoming more popular.
Demographic breakdown of readers
Hamshahri keeps a big group of readers in Tehran where it’s the most popular daily paper. A poll at home by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in March 2014 showed that 44.1% of people living in Tehran picked Hamshahri as the paper they like best.
Although exact readership stats for Hamshahri aren’t available, we can get some ideas from general newspaper reading habits. In many places, Iran included older folks like print papers more than younger readers do. Also, guys often read newspapers more than women. One study showed that 16% of men read newspapers, while 8% of women do.
Comparison with other Iranian newspapers
Hamshahri ranks among the top newspapers in Iran. A 2019 web ranking of the most popular newspapers in Iran placed Hamshahri in the fourth position. This ranking considers both print and online readership showing Hamshahri’s strong presence in traditional and digital media scenes.
Other well-known newspapers in Iran include Donya-e-Eqtesad, Khabar e Jonoob, and Tehran Times, which ranked first, second, and third respectively, in the same web ranking. These publications together with Hamshahri, represent the varied media environment in Iran meeting different reader interests and likes.
Keep in mind that Iranian newspaper circulation numbers have gone down in recent years. For example, Jam-e Jam, another big Iranian newspaper, saw its readership fall from about half a million copies a day in 2012 to 70,000-80,000 copies in 2017. This shift has had an impact on both reformist and conservative-leaning papers showing wider changes in the media world.
The drop in print readership has led to more people reading online. Hamshahri Online, which started in 1996, has helped keep the newspaper relevant in the digital era. As one of Iran’s first Persian online newspapers, Hamshahri Online gives readers access to a huge collection of news stories from 1996 onwards. This serves as a valuable tool to research and understand historical context.
Even though print media faces tough times, Hamshahri still holds a key spot in Iran’s media scene. Its success in adjusting to changing reader likes and keeping a strong online presence has allowed it to remain a trusted news and information source for many Iranians.
Conclusion
Hamshahri has had a big impact on how news works in Iran since it started in 1990. It began as the first daily paper in color and grew into a top news source showing it can change with the times. It keeps many readers in Tehran, by focusing on city issues, covering lots of news, and adding new things like a big section for classified ads.
The newspaper’s story shows how people in Iran and around the world are changing the way they get their news. Hamshahri has faced some tough times, like fewer people buying the print version. But it’s keeping up with the times by going digital with Hamshahri Online.
This helps it stay important in today’s digital world. Hamshahri plans to keep giving people useful interesting, and up-to-date news in both print and online. This makes it a news source many Iranians trust.
