Iran Note: A Message to the Media About "American Woman Spying Through Her Teeth"

UPDATE 2105 GMT: Given my crankiness this morning at the lack of scrutiny by most in the media sensationally recycling this story, it is only fair to give a big tip of the hat to Scott Peterson of the Christian Science Monitor, who gets to the heart of the matter, "US Woman Arrested in Iran as Spy: Why the Story May Not Have Teeth".

Peterson updates on the changing stories in the Iranian media --- Fars says, “The detained spy asked the Iranian authorities not to return her to Armenia in fear of her life,” but the TV outlet Al-Alam says Hall Talayan never entered Iran, as she did not have the proper visa --- and notes the lack of support from Iranian government officials and outlets like Press TV.

Peterson notes our original entry, "The uncertainties prompted the EAWorldView website, which closely follows daily events in Iran, to urge caution."

UPDATE 1355 GMT: As website after website posts the spy story without much evidence of consideration of it --- apparently, the detained American is a 55-year-old woman named Hall Talayan --- Reuters does offer this exceptional line: "An espionage device was found in her teeth, according to the Iran daily, which is not known for carrying accurate reports."

Still, Fars News is now carrying the story, using an "informed source" to claim Talayan was arrested a week ago with a microphone in her teeth, so it must be true.

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Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I know you like a sensational story. And I know that the combination of spying and US-Iran confrontation is just too much to resist.

Still, do you have to inflict this upon the world as a serious story? "A state-owned Iranian newspaper says authorities have detained an American woman on espionage suspicions. ....She had hidden "spying technology or a microphone" in her teeth when she was detained by customs authorities in the border town of Nordouz." (Associated Press, MSNBC, New York Times)

Not every story about spying deserves to be treated with respect --- have a look at our feature today on "Vulture Held in Saudi Arabia as Israeli Spy" --- but every story demands to be handled with scrutiny and context.

Scrutiny: the American-woman-spying-through-her-teeth sensation was put forward by a single source, the Iran newspaper. There is no evidence that this event happened beyond the keyboard of the reporter --- not even the Iranian Government, for all its displays of foreign-supported sedition, is joining in the claim.

Context: it is possible that, given 19 months of post-election crisis, the regime and those supporting it might be relying on a daily drip-feed of "foreign threat" to hold down dissent. It is possible that, amidst serious economic issues, political tensions, and key international discussions, the need to up the dose of espionage tales is increased.

And it is possible that these stories are diversions from other episodes that can be documented. Say, episodes like the declaration of the Governor of Tehran Province yesterday that more than 60 Christians had been arrested. Episodes like the sentencing of Zahra Bahrami to death on Sunday. Episodes like the latest multi-year sentences handed down on journalists, lawyers, and activists.

Just saying. You know, in case you get the story from a random Iranian publication today: "Iranian Police Smash Squirrel Spy Ring".