News Discourse Analysis of the Persian Media in the 13th Iranian Presidential Elections: Case Study of the Persian Websites of VOA and Euronews

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 IRIB university

2 Tehran university

10.30510/psi.2023.314600.2622

Abstract

Elections have always been of high significance to constituents and national and international media as one of the major indicators of democracy in any country. Constituents' attention to election programs and relevant news has enabled the media to render the most impact on public opinion by publishing content tailored to the policies, aims, and ideologies of their owners. Accordingly, the European and American media's stance towards the 13th Iranian Presidential Elections is an issue worth examining. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the portrayal of the 13th Iranian Presidential Elections on the Persian websites of VOA and Euronews. Van Dijk's discourse analysis method was used and the study population consisted of news articles concerning the 13th Iranian Presidential Elections in June 2021, in which 12 samples from each website were purposefully selected and then subjected to discourse analysis. Findings indicate that both websites attempted to discredit the elected institutions of the Islamic Republic of Iran and distort Iran's electoral principles. Although VOA emphasizes “sanctions and abolishment discourse” in addition to distorting the election, Euronews does not emphasize election boycott as a discourse stance, despite voicing the boycotters. Remarkably, both media outlets presented an admonitory and sinister image of the Islamic Republic of Iran through the subject of the elections and incited a sort of “moral fear.” Furthermore, VOA and Euronews have reproduced orientalist stereotypes that could be designated as “self-orientalism” by highlighting components and themes such as “misogyny,” “violence,” “fundamentalism,” “tyranny,”. about the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Keywords

Political Sociology of Iran
Volume 5, Issue 12
February 2023
Pages 3736-3762

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