Abbas Masoudi (1915–1974) stands as one of the most influential figures in the history of Iranian journalism. Best remembered as the founder of Ettelaat newspaper, which remains one of Iran’s most widely read and longest-running publications, Masoudi was not merely a journalist but also a politician and cultural mediator. His career straddled journalism, printing, and politics, and his life provides an important window into the broader dynamics of Iran during the Pahlavi era. His work reflects the struggles of Iranian society with modernization, press freedom, censorship, political authority, and the intersection of journalism with governance.
The story of Abbas Masoudi is not only that of a man but of the rise of a media institution that profoundly shaped public opinion in 20th-century Iran. His legacy continues to this day, long after his sudden death in 1974 and the exile of his family following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
