Azad’s 6-Person YouTube Team Amplifies Dissent in Iran, Brokered Carlson-Pezeshkian Interview
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 15
Azad’s 6-Person YouTube Team Amplifies Dissent in Iran, Brokered Carlson-Pezeshkian Interview
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 15
Summary
Azad, a six-person Iranian outlet, has built a growing YouTube audience by hosting Tehran debates that air views many critics of Iran’s government rarely voice publicly.
Founder Mahdi Ahmadi, 35, says the channel acts as a neutral “court of ideas,” pairing harsh government criticism with voices close to the authorities so viewers can judge competing arguments.
That balancing act also put Azad in the middle of a high-profile media moment: Ahmadi said he pitched Tucker Carlson on interviewing President Masoud Pezeshkian and connected him with the president’s team.
Carlson did not comment, but his channel thanked Ahmadi at the end of the interview, underscoring how a small independent platform has gained influence while drawing scrutiny at home.