Covering sanctions is complicated. Editors commissioning reports from countries like Iran, Russia, and Venezuela mainly want stories that focus on security or political issues, but on the ground, economic disruptions are what everyone is talking about. Foreign correspondents based in sanctioned countries are not just reporting on economic disruptions, they are experiencing them first-hand, contending with volatile markets, rising prices, product shortages, and a darkening mood. As economic pressure builds, journalism can become more sensitive. Government officials may not want the true extent of the economic fallout to become known.

This episode, recorded before the 12-day war fought between Israel and Iran in July, discusses the experience of foreign correspondents covering sanctions in Iran.

Golnar Motevalli is a reporter for Bloomberg. Between 2013 and 2020 she was a correspondent based in Tehran. Today, Golnar leads Bloomberg’s coverage on Iran from London.

The Sanctions Age is hosted by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj. The show is produced by Spiritland Productions.

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