hadi khaniki; Ali Ahmadi
Abstract
Indeed, crises are an inherent part of society, and their number and diversity have increased significantly over time. Social media has emerged as a pivotal player in the prevention and management of crises, owing to its wide-reaching influence on audiences and its capacity to shape public opinion. The ...
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Indeed, crises are an inherent part of society, and their number and diversity have increased significantly over time. Social media has emerged as a pivotal player in the prevention and management of crises, owing to its wide-reaching influence on audiences and its capacity to shape public opinion. The wide range of functions that social media provides makes it a significant pillar in managing crises. In this research, the most published content and the most visited posts of Telegram channels, related to the spread of coronavirus from March to September 2019, were analyzed to comprehensively represent the news on COVID-19 in Iranian social media. According to the research findings, as the frequency of content related to COVID-19 decreased, the significance of Telegram channel publications in the areas of quarantine, social distancing, and governmental measures for crisis management diminished as well. This led to a decrease in public sensitivity and attention towards the implementation of COVID-19 restrictions during the specified time frame. The decrease in public attention and sensitivity towards the application of COVID-19 restrictions is a significant factor that has contributed to the escalation of the crisis in society during the analyzed timeframe. IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the impact of social media on society, making it a more considerable and relevant news source compared to other mediums. Recognizing the critical function of the Telegram messenger in disseminating information, especially regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing the content shared through this platform offers valuable insights into changes in public sentiment within Iranian society during the crisis management phase.Research QuestionGiven Telegram's influence on shaping public opinion about COVID-19, how is the COVID-19 crisis represented in Iranian social media? Literature ReviewThe study conducted by Moradi and Mohammadifar (2019) entitled "The Role of Social Networks in Social Fear and Lifestyle Change Due to the Coronavirus" determined that Viber and Instagram had a more notable impact on increasing social anxiety in the city of Kermanshah, while domestic networks such as Ita and Soroush had a comparatively lesser influence on this aspect.Elahvardipour (2019) stressed the importance of health communication in countering COVID-19 misinformation worldwide. Zare (2019) underlines the swift spread of false information about COVID-19 and the necessity for structured management, while Bright et al. (2020) scrutinized state media coverage of COVID-19 in alignment with government policies. Sinelli et al. (2020) explored the role of social media in the spread of COVID-19-related misinformation and fake news. Sinelli et al. (2020) investigated COVID-19 rumors circulating on social media, and Harun and Rizvi (2020) examined its economic impacts. This study differentiates itself by delving into COVID-19 news on Telegram within Iranian society, a platform that holds significant potential for providing valuable insights into the shifting dynamics of public opinion.MethodologyThe research methodology employed in the current study is thematic analysis. In alignment with the primary focus of encapsulating the news related to the spread of the COVID-19 virus through the Telegram messenger, data analysis has been performed utilizing computer software with the assistance of the Data Mining Laboratory of the Faculty of Computer Engineering of the University of Tehran.In this research, a list of keywords relevant to the title of the research such as "corona, covid, coronavirus, virus, corona, mask" was prepared and the appropriate messages with these keywords were retrieved (Table 1). Ultimately, the 100 most visited Telegram messenger content from March 2018 to September 2019 were carefully chosen for analysis.ResultsDuring the analysis period spanning from March 2018 to September 2019, 15 themes related to the coronavirus pandemic on Telegram were examined:"Observing health principles" initially peaked in March 2018, but trended downwards consistently afterward, indicating decreasing interest among users."Quarantine and Adherence to Restrictions" saw elevated attention in the earlier stages, yet its significance diminished as time went on."Corona Disease Insurance" captured significant attention only during the initial stages of the outbreak, but this interest quickly dissipated soon after."Illnesses and Deaths due to Corona" witnessed the highest level of interest in June and September, which correlated with fluctuations in COVID-19 infection rates."Improving Corona" was at the forefront in March, showcasing initial efforts to manage the virus."Shortage of Healthcare Products" saw a notable surge in April but dwindled as the virus's magnitude lessened.- "Humor about Corona" emerged in August, signaling reduced public apprehension and a shift towards lighter discourse.During the designated period, "Actions by the government and the Ministry of Health" emerged as a significant aspect in May."Treatment Staff" received substantial notice in April but gradually lessened in significance later on."Experiences of Infection and Death of People Around You" reached a highest point of interest in April, mirroring increased public concern during periods of heightened mortality rates."Economic Effects of Corona" attained relatively limited attention, particularly in May, signifying a lower level of public awareness."Scientific material about the Coronavirus" witnessed increased attention over time, particularly during the second peak in July, indicating a growing comprehension of the virus."Muharram and coronavirus" became a significant topic of discussion in August and September, suggesting seasonal worries and concerns."Holding the entrance exam" as well as "reopening schools" in late summer 2019 were featured as pressing concerns, reflecting an emphasis on educational issues amidst the pandemic.ConclusionThe examination of Iranian social media channels between December 2019 and September 2020 unveiled several prominent themes related to the global pandemic of COVID-19. The main topics that garnered substantial attention encompassed quarantine measures, adherence to restrictions, disease incidence and fatalities, shortages of healthcare products, economic ramifications, and the observation of religious ceremonies, particularly Muharram.In general, themes associated with quarantine and government measures experienced a decrease in significance over time, suggesting a gradual decrease in Iranian sensitivity to restrictions during the pandemic. However, there was a notable change towards scientific information, notably concerning prevention and treatment measures for COVID-19, reflecting a growing interest in reliable information as the crisis evolved. The recurring focus on shortages of healthcare products, such as masks and alcohol, highlighted persistent concerns within the community. In contrast, personal experiences of infection and death experienced a decrease in attention, indicating a lesser level of public sensitivity towards COVID-19, possibly due to increased caution and awareness.AcknowledgmentsThis article has been developed from a research project undertaken by the Communication and Media Cluster at Allameh Tabataba'i University.
Hadi Khaniki; Amir Yazdian
Abstract
The first media religion studies dates back to 70s and 80s. Until the 1990s, this field had not been seriously considered by scholarships. Media studies’ affection by cultural studies and its apostasy (an important feature of cultural studies) are the main reasons for abandoning religion in media ...
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The first media religion studies dates back to 70s and 80s. Until the 1990s, this field had not been seriously considered by scholarships. Media studies’ affection by cultural studies and its apostasy (an important feature of cultural studies) are the main reasons for abandoning religion in media studies. Religious scholars also considered the mass media to be a factor in the weakening of religion, and therefore paid less attention to media studies. However, the emphasis of cultural approaches on the processes of meaning-making in society and the importance of religion as one of the most important components in the process of meaning-making of human agency caused attention to be turned to religion. Therefore, since the 90s, we have witnessed the growth of literature in the field of religion and media studies. Studies that began with the efforts of scholars such as Clifford Geertz and James Carey have continued up to the date and have grown due to the widespread influence of new media and their unique features at the community level. Examining the performance of religious groups, audience-oriented approach, examining religious news coverage, content analysis of religious topics, policy-making and critical content analysis have been among the main subjects of studies in this field, in recent years. However, the most important approaches to this emerging field of study can be found in Marshall McLuhan's "Technological Determinism"; Stig Hjarvard's "The Mediatization of Religion"; Stewart Hoover's "Mediation of Meaning"; Gordon Lynch’s "Mediation of Sacred Forms"; and Heidi Campbell’s "Religious-Social Shaping of Technology."
Maryam moghimi; hadi khaniki; Seyyed Ali asghar Soltani
Abstract
The leading article has been written with the aim of analyzing the critical discourse of women's hatred against women on the pages of female users on Instagram. Based on this, referring to Glirdoneh's views in the field of combating internet hatred, the critical discourse of the pages of four female ...
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The leading article has been written with the aim of analyzing the critical discourse of women's hatred against women on the pages of female users on Instagram. Based on this, referring to Glirdoneh's views in the field of combating internet hatred, the critical discourse of the pages of four female users active in the field of women was analyzed. To this end, according to Theon E.'s discourse analysis approach, Vandik was considered a special work for recording and extracting information from the text of selected news. The results show that the analysis of the examined posts indicates three types of violence: Against discrimination and patriarchy, against the institution of the family and the traditional role of women, and finally redemption towards feminist and modern values through the lens of destruction, and against traditional values and the attempt to break the cage of traditions. In the overall result of the study of the discourse of the studied pages, it was found that the central signifier is the sum of the studied posts. In the discourse order, female identity is "social". Women must be present in society. The presence of women in society leads to female awareness. Gender equality will occur. Other peripheral signs such as "denial of collectivism", "sexual relations" and "gender equality" form the discourse of female users in the discourse of female identity. This discourse also implies others for itself, often in the form of petrified identities. This discourse also considers Others in the form of patriarchy, inhumanity, sexual dysfunction, polygamy, historical discrimination, etc.
hadi khaniki; Hossein Kermani
Abstract
Alongside with the advent and proliferation of internet usage in societies, more debates on the potentials of internet in reviving or reshaping the public sphere or even creating a new one has aroused. Thus, this paper is trying to evaluate if a micro public sphere is shaped in a Telegram group where ...
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Alongside with the advent and proliferation of internet usage in societies, more debates on the potentials of internet in reviving or reshaping the public sphere or even creating a new one has aroused. Thus, this paper is trying to evaluate if a micro public sphere is shaped in a Telegram group where Iranian journalist had discussed the requirements and conditions for establishing a professional association. Telegram is the most popular Instant Messaging Application in Iran now, and its groups provide a very convenient space for discussions and conversations. That is why numerous groups are created to enable people to participate in public and (potentially) free discussions. In September 2016, when some Iranian journalist tried to establish a professional association for Tehran-based journalists, a group in Telegram was created which attracted more than 600 members at that time. The announced purpose of the group was exploring the circumstances and providing helpful suggestions for those working to prepare the statute of the association. Thus, using a triangulation of three methods, we tried to achieve a close reading of messages in the group (we analyzed 1117 messages from the beginning before the theoretical saturation was achieved). We identified 5 different kinds of conversations: simple, empathy, non-challenging, challenging, and hostile. Findings showed that the members’ actions in some cases can be seen as communicative rather than instrumental or strategic. Results also indicated that as debates got more hostile, many of public sphere’s norms were violated.
yousef khojir; hadi khaniki
Abstract
This paper identifies the capacities and challenges of virtual social networks in the development of civil society in Iran and the attitudes of civil activists in Tehran about them. This study was a blended method and its method was deep interviewing and scrolling. The statistical population in the qualitative ...
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This paper identifies the capacities and challenges of virtual social networks in the development of civil society in Iran and the attitudes of civil activists in Tehran about them. This study was a blended method and its method was deep interviewing and scrolling. The statistical population in the qualitative section of academic scholars and civil and party activists, among them 27, were selected through targeted sampling and a small portion of civil activists in Tehran, among which 384 were selected by simple random sampling. The findings show that experts have 16 capacities and 12 challenges for social networks in developing or weakening civil society. The discovery of equality, the possibility of dialogue, disclosure, the establishment of a communication link, the reduction of the cost of civil activities, freedom to exchange information, defend civil society, introduce abnormal civic behaviors, coverage, strengthening social capital, increasing the power of choice, including capacities. weakness of professional use, filtering policy, false civil demands, the existence of a state of government monitoring and control, the expansion of cyberspace problems to civil society, they are among the challenges. Among these cases, the civil activists in Tehran have the most important capacity for civil society networks to attract people to networks, easy access to citizens, and categorize their views and reduce the cost of civil activities. And the most important challenge is the weakness of professional use, filtering policies, and the dissemination of false civil claims.
Susna Bastani; hadi khaniki; Saeed Arkanzadeh Yazdi
Abstract
The Research Evaluates new media impacts on Iranian mainstream media. It seems that new media in Iran these days deeply effect on mainstream media and even in some cases makes them to lose their functions. This research tries to evaluate new media impacts on Iranian mainstream media’s internal ...
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The Research Evaluates new media impacts on Iranian mainstream media. It seems that new media in Iran these days deeply effect on mainstream media and even in some cases makes them to lose their functions. This research tries to evaluate new media impacts on Iranian mainstream media’s internal mechanisms and also relations between them with the people and with politic and economic powers. New media impacts on mainstream media and their relations with people were evaluated by qualitative survey methodology. Eventually researcher concluded that new media by themselves did not reduce the mainstream media consumption but the tough controls and lack of professionalism in mainstream media were the critical cause of consumption, trustfulness and influence decline so new media rise only has amplified these consequences. In fact, this study found that people have immigrated to new media because of weak mainstream media but they could not entirely alternate with mainstream media.
Hamed Talebian; hadi khaniki
Abstract
In cyberspace, a hyperlink from one website into another one is a link that connects various websites into each other. Connecting sites by hyperlink provides a nested network from information resources that its extent hypothetically covers the whole web space. In this research, I try to study a hyperlink ...
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In cyberspace, a hyperlink from one website into another one is a link that connects various websites into each other. Connecting sites by hyperlink provides a nested network from information resources that its extent hypothetically covers the whole web space. In this research, I try to study a hyperlink network which is formed among sites presented by so-called “Filtering Page” at “www.peyvandha.ir” URL. This research aims to study link structure in this networks and recognize key nodes or that of key sites. To do so, after reviewing theoretical foundations of two basic approaches in Webometrics & Hyperlink Network Analysis in the field of social network analysis, I consider a 2370 list of religious-cultural sites presented by filtering page on 5 different sections as an input list for web crawler of SocioBot. The findings indicate that there are just 3 hyperlink networks with very low density in macro level and just 2 key sites in micro level, as well.
Hadi khaniki; Mahya Barekat
Abstract
This article aims to study the representation of cultural values in computer games.We conducted a semiotic analysis on three computer games sponsored by three Iranian state organizations. The goal of the research was to investigate how Iranian game makers presented cultural values in the content of the ...
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This article aims to study the representation of cultural values in computer games.We conducted a semiotic analysis on three computer games sponsored by three Iranian state organizations. The goal of the research was to investigate how Iranian game makers presented cultural values in the content of the computer games. With a qualitative approach, we used Roland Barthes’ semiotic method to analyze cultural codes and Philip Tagg’s method to study media signs. The results indicate that the computer games did not use certain game capacities such as interactivity and player-made narrations. In terms of cultural values, the findings show that there is a close relationship between ideological content of the games and the cultural ideologies of the game producing organizations.