Sanam Dolatshahi was one of the first female bloggers in Iran, and is now a graduate student in journalism and women's studies at the University of Florida. Dolatshahi started an online magazine similar to ZigZag in 2002 called Cappuccino, and had Motalebi as a mentor. However, she didn't have access to the BBC iLearn modules, nor help from the BBC World Service Trust, and after the site was blocked in Iran, the readership died out. Dolatshahi is impressed with the feature writing and research put into the stories at ZigZag, as well as its lively forums.

"The comment section is also like a training workshop where people can discuss the way the story is written," she said via email. "I've seen so many constructive discussions going on in the [forums]. Questions ranging from the choice of words in the headlines to the use of photos take place there. Even the positionality of the reporter is challenged sometimes. The editor and the writers, as well as the audience, share what they think about the stories in the comment section, and I think everybody learns something out of that in the end."

ZigZag also has a radio component, with a two-hour radio show produced each week by trainees and an experienced BBC producer. But Dolatshahi thinks the site could stretch out into more formats.

"ZigZag could have used more web platforms, such as slideshows, soundslides, audio, or short videos," she said. "The multimedia section of the site is offered through the main website of the BBC, which I don't think will help the learners. I hope ZigZag will later provide more chances for the trainees to learn and produce multimedia stories as well."

Dolatshahi points to Jadid Online as an example of a media site that is training Iranians to do more multimedia work. While she does heap a lot of praise on ZigZag, she doesn't think it will have a revolutionary effect on Iranian journalism because it's being blocked in Iran. She's not sure how many people in Iran can access the site, which could limit its influence. Motalebi doesn't think the block is having as profound of an effect, telling me that most tech-savvy people in Iran know how to use proxies or caches to view the site and get around the government's blockade.