Marzieh Hashemi (formerly Melanie Yvette Franklin) developed an initial interest in media and politics, owing to her background. As a Black American from the south, she grew up at a time of immense social injustice and upheaval in the United States. She became an activist early on and learned the importance of speaking out against injustice.

As a journalism student, she took much interest in global affairs. And in 1979, the Islamic Revolution in Iran got her attention. In trying to understand the impetus of that revolution, she started researching for over two years, which would ultimately lead her to converting from Christianity to Islam.

She would later change her name to Marzieh and marry an Iranian Muslim.  As a married woman and later a mother of three, Marzieh Hashemi’s primary focus became her family. However, she also continued her activism, as a speaker and organizer in her Muslim community in the United States. As a writer, she contributed to various Islamic publications, including Crescent International of Toronto, Canada.

Upon moving to Iran, she returned to broadcasting, which she had actively pursued as a journalism student. She worked for English Radio News and later joined Sahar TV as a writer and a program host.

In 2008, she received an invitation to join Press TV, an offer she happily accepted, after seeing the lack of alternative media perspectives internationally. That became even more apparent to her in 2003, when the US invaded Iraq, giving rise to a one-sided barrage of misinformation seeking to justify Washington’s invasion. And in the absence of a strong counter voice to show the reality on the ground, she felt that Press TV was an opportunity to be that alternative voice and to reflect the views of those less heard.

Since then, Marzieh Hashemi has worked in various positions, from hosting programs to writing, editing, and documentary filmmaking. She is currently a Senior News Anchor and the host of her own show Hidden Files with Press TV. She hopes to inspire others to seek and reflect the truth, no matter what price one may have to pay for doing so.