Mohammad Sajed Hashemi; Mohammad Hadi Homayoon
Abstract
The National Information Network (NIN) in Iran as the communication infrastructure of the national cyberspace is an ongoing project that has been a subject of media attention including some foreign media agencies in recent years. Since the media representations in this regard can be effective on public ...
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The National Information Network (NIN) in Iran as the communication infrastructure of the national cyberspace is an ongoing project that has been a subject of media attention including some foreign media agencies in recent years. Since the media representations in this regard can be effective on public opinion orientations about the nature of the national information network, the representation of the project in some Persian and non-persian overseas media that have been selected by theoretical sampling has been studied using qualitative content analysis. Accordingly key statements arised from the selected texts have been summarized as far as possible and analyzed as the themes. Finally, six categories and eleven sub-categories were derived from the themes. Main categories include: Ambiguity in relationship between national information network and global Internet; Iran’s Authoritarian and totalitarian approach to the cyberspase by establishing the national information network; Iran’s demagogic propaganda about the national information network; Public concern over the implementation of the project; Costly process of launching the project and financial corruption of its implementers; and Iran’s inability to launch the national information network because of some social barriers and consequences.
Mohammad Mehdi Forghani; Mohammad Mehdi Forghani
Abstract
This article is looking for the elements of the US media diplomacy toward the Iranian Eleventh Government. For this purpose, the Persian website of Voice Of American was studied using qualitative content analysis in a period of 104 days, from 1st of August, 2014 to 28th of November. The findings show ...
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This article is looking for the elements of the US media diplomacy toward the Iranian Eleventh Government. For this purpose, the Persian website of Voice Of American was studied using qualitative content analysis in a period of 104 days, from 1st of August, 2014 to 28th of November. The findings show that VOA has tried to prepare the public for the negotiations and Tehran’s submission to the wills of the West. It has tried to do so, on one hand by presenting a peaceful and rational image of the West, and on the other hand by showing a strong and serious face against Iran. Moreover, VOA has tried to promote public support for policies compatible with that of the West and promote a critical approach against non-compatible policies. VOA also attempted to promote the idea that the government is incapable of functioning in Iran’s so-called non-democratic structure and claimed that Iran’s tendency to negotiation was because of the effectiveness of the sanctions. VOA painted the situation as Iran’s anti-imperialist approach has failed and the only way to save the Islamic Republic is to adopt a western model and promote relations with the West. VOA introduced the current situation as the best time for peace and for reforming the Iranian political system.
