In Search of a Lost Profession: A Study of Journalistic Practices in Iran

Author

Tahereh Rahimi, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

9-1-2020

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Mass Communication and Media Arts

First Advisor

Brooten, Lisa

Abstract

Journalists in Iran work in a complex situation. In this study through conducting in-depth interviews with 12 Iranian journalists, I tried to understand this complex context. More specifically by conducting a critical discourse analysis on their words, I examined how these journalists make sense of their news work and what meanings emerge from it. I also, based on the framework of journalism ideology Deuze’s (2005), compared their meanings and values with mainstream journalists on a global level. I realized there are two main, even contrasting, categories of meaning for them. On the one hand, they feel frustrated about the future of their jobs at the personal level, and also the entire journalism profession at the broader level. In fact, they see how their job, both as a profession and as a social responsibility, is losing its importance. On the other hand, despite all those frustrating forces, they try to remain active. They engage in processes in order to make sense of their working lives. They attribute other meanings to their job in order to feel they are still useful, efficient, and influential. Iranian journalists are influenced more by the context, most importantly censorship and economic hardships, they live in rather than what they think are universal journalism norms.