ONLINE:
Tuesday 10th March 2026 at 6.00pm
IRAN: he Media at War
Event Description
As with all conflicts, the role of the media has become a major talking point during the Iran War.
Propaganda from both the US and Iran, action-movie videos from the White House, strict censorship in much of the Middle East, problems with getting independent reporters into Iran, an internet blackout in Iran, and an outpouring of AI-generated fake videos. All are contributing to this conflict being a battle for truth.
Our online Media Society discussion brought together leading journalists to discuss how the media has covered the conflict so far, and how that may change as the war develops and possible escalates.
Our panel
Gavin Esler (Our chair)
Gavin is a journalist, television presenter and author. He was a main presenter on BBC Two's Newsnight, from 2003 until 2014, and presenter of BBC News at Five on the BBC News Channel.
He is the author of five novels and four non-fiction books. His latest book is 'Britain Is Better Than This: Why a Great Country is Failing Us'.
Leila Molana-Allen
Leila s a Special Correspondent for the PBS Newshour in the United States, reporting from across the Middle East and Africa. Her coverage of the aftermath of the October 7th attacks won a Peabody Award, and she was recently named a 2026 duPont-Columbia Award winner for her reporting on the fall of Assad in Syria.
Before joining PBS, she had worked at The Economist and the BBC World Service. She was raised in a first-generation British-Iranian family in London.
Fergal Keane
Fergal is a veteran war correspondent for the BBC. Last month, he announced that he was leaving the BBC after 37 years at the corporation.
He has covered stories ranging from South Africa's transition to democracy, the handover of Hong Kong, the Rwandan genocide, and, more recently, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. His work has been recognised with RTS Awards, a BAFTA, an EMMY and the George Orwell Prize. He has written or co-authored 11 books, ranging from war reporting and history to memoirs. His latest book is 'The Madness: A Memoir of War, Fear and PTSD'.