After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the United States and its allies have always used sanctions as one of the main means of changing Iran’s behaviour. The sanctions have been imposed mainly under the pretext of three key strategic issues: “nuclear energy,” “missile systems” and “human rights.” Given that domestic public opinion is agreed with the stance of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the first two issues, the Western media attack to justify sanctions has focused mainly on world public opinion, since it had gained little success in persuading Iranians. However, because, compared to the two other ones, the issue of human rights naturally may create sympathy among the people and also most of the people do not have enough information about the advantages of punishing the criminals, this issue has received more media coverage in the satellite channels which aim to influence domestic public opinion. Therefore, human rights have always been one of the most important and frequent topics discussed in these media.

 

The BBC has outlined an ideal situation for human rights cases according to its perspective and agenda and hence chooses the subjects and cases who contribute to the realization of that ideal situation. Through providing case studies, the following tries to re-engineer such phenomena and analyze these subjects.

 

The BBC has purposefully chosen Narges Mohammadi as its most frequent subject in human rights cases. Due to her special physical and family circumstances, she can provoke public feelings and emotions. On the other hand, she is a woman, and the news coverage of her convictions could give an impression that the Judicial System (as the representative of the Islamic Republic) is opposed to women’s rights; the idea of ​​the violation of women’s rights in Islam which the opponents of Iran have been promoting for years.

 

On the other hand, Narges Mohammadi, as a lawyer and also the deputy director of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre, is a subject that can show the Islamic Republic’s opposition to human rights laws. The narrative of the confrontation of a lawyer and the Judicial System can cast doubt on the functioning of the country’s legal system, as the chosen subject here has relevant expertise and this would reinforce the view intended by BBC.

 

Regarding the reasons for choosing Nazanin Zaghari, it should be said that due to her dual nationality, she is a typical example of dual nationals and Iranians abroad. By choosing this subject, the BBC seeks to show how Iran deals with the Iranians abroad. On the other hand, Nazanin Zaghari, like Narges Mohammadi, has special family circumstances. In addition, she is a woman, and what was said about Narges Mohammadi is also true about her.

Omid Kokabi, however, has characteristics that could complement the BBC’s image of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Due to reaching outstanding scientific positions, he is being introduced by this channel as the representative of science and progress and someone who opposes the fanaticism of the rulers. In other words, the idea of ​​the incompatibility of science and religion or the confrontation between the Islamic Republic and progress is strengthened by choosing Kokabi. This idea is known as the Black Iran-Golden West. On the other hand, because Omid Kokabi belongs to an ethnic and religious minority, the BBC represents him as a typical example of these minorities and the one who opposes the Islamic Republic, in order to mobilize the capacity of this segment of society against the government.

 

The subject selection techniques the BBC employed to choose Mohammad-Ali Taheri, indicate that he has carefully been selected to represent the discourse of modernity and religious intellectualism in contrast to the discourse of traditionalism attributed to the government. Taheri is introduced in BBC reports as a symbol of freedom of thought and the dynamism of religious thinking, whereas the Judicial System, as the representative of the state, is identified with fanaticism and stagnation. Also, media-streaming of this subject can fuel the old notion that Islam opposes freedom of expression.

 

Thus, by choosing such subjects, the BBC seeks to create images such as “the confrontation between Islam and women’s rights,” “the confrontation between Islam and human rights,” “the confrontation between the Islamic Revolution and Iranians abroad,” “Black Iran – The Golden West, “incompatibility of science and religion” and “Islam’s opposition to freedom of expression and thought.”

 

As far as the policy-making is concerned, the BBC has identified the rival discourses of the Islamic Revolution and chooses the subjects based on its pre-designed plan to undermine the Revolution’s discourse and strengthen its intended one.

 

The Media-Streaming Techniques Used by the BBC

 

Media-streaming Techniques	Narges Mohammadi	Nazanin Zaghari	Omid Kokabi	Mohammad-Ali Taheri
1) Creating division	*	*	*	*
2) Testifying	*	*	*	*
3) Telling a partial truth	*
4) Incomplete induction and generalization	*	*
5) Using values to influence attitudes	*	*	*	*
6) Simplicity of the message	*
7) Exaggeration	*	*	*	*
8) Repetition	*	*		*
9) Objectiveness	*
10) Demonization	*	*	*	*
11) Valuing or degrading the individuals				*
12) Using unknown sources			*	*
13) Proposing unsubstantiated claims	*	*	*	*
14) Highlighting strange statements	*
15) Familiar narrator	*
16) Emphasizing on the credibility of aligned sources	*		*
17) Labeling in accordance with the situation	*
18) Mythologizing	*

 

By employing the technique of “creating division” the BBC aims to separate the Iranian people from the government under various pretexts. The media seeks to pit “women,” the “country’s academics,” “ethnic-religious minorities,” “intellectuals or religious dissidents” and “Iranian diaspora” against the Islamic Republic.

 

The BBC utilizes the “exaggeration” and “testifying” techniques in maneuvering over human rights cases. Employing these techniques, the BBC tries to highlight the international support that the reputable individuals and institutions offered for the prisoners, in order to use their credibility for gaining more influence. This becomes even more important when we know that these sources are highly regarded by the audience. In other words, the BBC first conducts the audience analysis and then uses the techniques. The BBC, on the other hand, while utilizing the “exaggeration” technique in narrations, tries to show that these cases have become an international concern thereby increasing the pressure on the government.

 

Another technique is “the use of values ​​to influence attitudes” which can be analyzed alongside the “demonization” technique. BBC Persian tries to undermine reasoning by emphasizing on values ​​and emotions of the audience. For example, it portrays the situation in such a way that the rival discourse would have to deal with the emotional relationship of a mother and her child. Obviously, every actor in this game is already lost and doomed to failure.

 

“Telling a partial truth” is another technique that the BBC is using to cover human rights cases. In doing so, it only covers one part of the story. However, the full coverage of the event by the state media can eliminate the suspicions raised in society.

 

Six Innovative and Identified Techniques

 

Proposing unsubstantiated claims: while the journalism standards require news media to use reliable and credible sources for reporting, the BBC does not observe such standards in some cases and reports false information and fake news about the Judicial System of Iran taking advantage of the vacuum that exists in terms of the clarifying the issue.

 

Highlighting strange statements: By closely monitoring the statements made by government officials, the BBC identifies and highlights the ones with which the audience is not familiar in order to show that the Islamic Republic does not act according to rationality and wisdom. Using expert media consultants can help the government deal with this issue; those who, in addition to being completely familiar with the frameworks and requirements of the media, have a close social relationship with people and are considered an expert in the field of analyzing the audience’s behaviour.

 

Using a familiar narrator: the BBC seeks to use female narrators and journalists when covering human rights news. This technique reinforces the emotional bond between the subject and the female audience and increases the effectiveness of the report.

 

Emphasizing on the credibility of aligned sources: BBC Persian emphasizes on the credibility of its aligned sources in order to build and establish trust with the audience. That is why BBC tends to mention the expertise and credibility of the sources that work in line with its policies. For example, in describing how the state oppresses sick prisoners, this media outlet does not simply refer to the poor conditions in the prison, rather, it raises cases of violation of the rights of sick prisoners by mentioning the remarks of the prison doctors.

 

Labelling in accordance with the situation: this technique is used when the media needs different narratives of a single event at different times and situations. In addition, BBC Persian tries to use different and, in some cases, contradicting labels according to the time of the release, subject and spirit of the report. For example, in some reports, the BBC introduces Narges Mohammadi as a non-political person who does not have subversive inclinations; but when it wants to link her to the 2009 presidential election, it describes her as a political prisoner.

 

Mythologizing: when it comes to covering the scientific news, the BBC tries to mythologize the subjects. This media outlet, while hiding the weaknesses of the subjects, emphasizes their strengths. This technique complements the demonizing technique. In most cases, the BBC displays a limited and one-sided image of the subject. These attempts, if accompanied by the censorship that the state media in Iran imposes on those people, would lead to the mythologization of such subjects. Because when a myth or legend is not confronted with the audience and only his extraordinary features are being covered by the media, he would seem more powerful in the audience’s mind. Displaying these people in the media without prior assessment makes the audience aware of their weaknesses and destroys their image that had been shaped in public opinion.

 

Reference: Quarterly Journal of Communication Research. Vol 26, No 1, Spring 2019, Pp 77-110.

 

Archive of The Enemies of the Islamic Revolution