TEHRAN, Nov. 09 (MNA) – Analyst Emad Abshenass, Iran Press Editor-in-Chief and the representative for Russia Today in Iran touched upon the media war as the most common tool to kick off a Cold War.

Addressing reporters and media-minded people on Monday, Abshenas said the victory belongs to those who act based on audience demands using trained, professional and prominent journalists.

Touching upon the issue of 'East and West media war', Abshenass referred to the heavy costs involved parties suffer from purchasing weapons, bullets, cartridges, RPG and equipment.

"The cold war, including media war, is the most effective means to defeat the enemies, which suffers no financial damages," he noted.

Emad Abshenass asserted, "while in hot wars high costs are spent for arms, soldiers, ammunition and weapons, media war assigns much lower costs just to employ journalists, writers and provide media equipment."

Pointing to one of the negative consequences of the hot war, he said the loser is waiting for revenge, however, when you defeat the enemy through the channel of media war and cultural ways, in addition to defeating it psychologically, you will be able to attract public opinion of your enemy country having no more enemies.

As in wartime that we need officers, soldiers and forces, for media war we need authors, news writers, reporters, correspondents and anchors who are highly professional and educated, he said.

"When an untrained officer or soldier is easily injured or killed in the battle and consequently his army faces failure, untrained media will also lose against enemies."

Pointing to the issue of concern for Eastern media, Abshenass underlined they lack any strategy or roadmap.

"As the military war needs strategy and plan, media must have a roadmap and avoid arbitrary and scattered acts based on personal interests that would lead to failure," he noted.

Abshenass emphasized that there should be concentration of forces; "when every news media works according to its own strategies, interests and tastes, naturally, there will be a scattering which would provide the grounds for the enemy to easily defeat us in terms of media and soft war."

For example, he added, Russia in order to fight with the enemy, gathered and focused all its outlets, news agencies and state-run media in a single network called Russia Today to well defeat the enemies.

Media should be strong and effective, Abshenass stressed, "the fundamental problem of Iranian media is that they sometimes work against each other; they neutralize each other's activities and efforts lacking any strong and influential output."

The creation of hero in the war and taking advantage of the media brands were other issues Abshenasa discussed in his address. He deplored that in Iran there is no media brand, personality or figure; these people are put aside, he stressed.

Russian media representative went on to say that media domination still exists, however, the media which well knows its audience and tries to attract its attention and publish news and reports according to its demands, is the winner.

He also touched upon the role of culture in media domination, saying the international media in Iran producing content for international audiences, must be coordinated and familiar with the culture of the target audience; when a media wants to fight with US it should know who it fights, what culture it has and identity its objectives.

Even though media enemies are powerful, we also have strengths, capabilities and power to defeat them, Abshenass emphasized adding, "as Russia Today, Al-Mayadeen and so were able to defeat enemies, although they faced many problems and obstructions in several countries, we can win the war as well."

LR