Make-Believe: According to FAIR there are Less than 5 American Reporters in Iran. If so, Massa Media Does Not Verify Most of Trump’s Claims and Merely Parrots Gov Propaganda to the Public

From [FAIR]A New York Times spokesperson issued a statement on X (3/31/26) in response to a FAIR article, “NYT Covers Iran War With No Reporters in Iran” (3/30/26). The Times‘ Nicole Taylor wrote:

This is a false portrayal of our work. We have repeatedly called on Israel to lift restrictions for journalists in Gaza, and we want to be able to send reporters into Iran safely, without restrictions, as well as to be able to work closely with local journalists without risking their security. Restricted access allows disinformation and propaganda to thrive, making our deliberate, fact-based reporting on the war even more essential.

Taylor claimed that FAIR’s article was a “false portrayal” of the Times’ work, but she failed to directly challenge any of the article’s claims.

First, FAIR never claimed that the Times didn’t call on Israel to “lift restrictions for journalists in Gaza.” Indeed, the paper did so in late July 2025, along with multiple other news organizations (New York Times, 7/27/25, 7/27/25).

Rather, FAIR criticized the Times’ decision to cover the Iran War without any reporters on the ground in Iran. We pointed out that multiple Times employees are reporting from and currently living in Israel, providing up-close and personal coverage of that country, in sharp contrast to its long-distance coverage of Iran.

Can the Times send reporters “safely” to Iran? As FAIR pointed out, CNN reporter Frederik Pleitgen—the only reporter for a US outlet to be granted a visa from Iran—recounts having no major issues reporting there (Guardian, 3/14/26). Other foreign journalists, like Canada-based Dimitri Lascaris and Reuters‘ Ahmed Jadallah, have also reported from Iran in recent weeks. [MORE]