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The articles in this issue are sent from Washington, Portland and Ottawa to New York. They are looked over and sent for editing to South Korea. They come back to New York for preliminary design. Next stop is New Mexico for layout. And finally, the complete magazine is delivered to Sunnyvale in California for electronic distribution.
And there you have it. A magazine through the miracle of the Internet.
About a year ago, I began thinking seriously about publishing a magazine for Iranians abroad. Being a journalist, I assumed my first and only option was to print it. The costs were staggering. To print a quality color magazine, I needed to raise more than $50,000 a month.
I pitched the idea to investors: There are two million Iranians in the United States alone. They are middle- to upper-middle class. The vast majority are westernized and have college degrees. A quality magazine similar to Life or The New Yorker could attract major advertisers.
I exaggerated a little, but wasn't far from the truth. Still, no one saw a real commercial opportunity. The fact is Iranians have very little respect for the media. They are even more cynical about their own newspapers and magazines.
What you offer must be very good and look even better. That translates into very expensive. In the end, you end up trying to sell your editorial freedom to a wealthy backer who probably would not support a publication which is not going to bring in tons of money, if at all.
This is where one appreciates the beauty of the Internet. It has barely been four months since I learned about publishing on the Internet and already we're online. Not including the cost of new computer equipment, an Internet connection and the efforts of three or four friends, all I am paying is a small fraction of the cost to print.
The possibilities created by the Internet are virtually limitless. The Internet gives you the chance to be heard. The only limitation is one's own ability. Either you have something worthwhile to say or your voice will be buried and forgotten in cyberspace.
The Iranian is based on the belief that we have something to say, something to prove, something to gain. And many of us are dying to speak. The amount and variety of unhindered information that's pouring into the Internet from Iranians is fascinating.
This is our first issue. Take a look. With your comments, suggestions and help, we'll be back, hopefully bigger and better, in late October.
There are still many unknowns about the Internet. What is clear is that it is the freest forum we have ever known and the unimpeded exchange of information throughout the globe can only bring various peoples closer together.
The Internet will finally teach us that we're all alike. More knowledge, less fear, less paranoia, less bigotry. But we must protect this fledgling medium, which is under increasing attack from opportunists feeding on people's natural fear of anything new and far-reaching.
In the end, I would like to dedicate this magazine to my dearest daughter, Mahdiyeh. I hope she will grow up to realize that the only thing that will bring progress and peace is freedom.
J. Javid
New York
     
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