The Iranian revolution of 1978/1979 did in many respects not fit the stereotypes of a Third World revolution. What drove and held together the unique alliance between religious leaders, nationalists, and other groups of society, including the radical left, was therefore hard to understand for westerners. It was even harder to understand, that an Islamic cleric, whom many saw as a backwards religious zealot, could in the end overthrow the authoritarian regime of Shah Reza Pahlevi, although it had the most powerful army of the region and the ubiquitous secret service SAVAK at its disposal.
In this background the role of the media was crucial in making events in Iran transparent to the public in the United Kingdom and in Germany. This study will look at how particular newspapers, the Guardian and the Süddeutsche Zeitung, have understood and reported the events. It will also investigate what sources they used and how important the influence of news agencies was. Finally it will analyse to what extent cultural misconceptions and prejudices have or have not tainted the reporting.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
The Revolution
CHAPTER TWO
The newspapers
CHAPTER THREE
III.2 The role of the news Bureaus
III.3 – the correspondents
CHAPTER FOUR
What they had to say
CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This dissertation aims to investigate how Western media, specifically the British newspaper The Guardian and the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, reported the Iranian Revolution of 1978/1979, with a specific focus on the potential influence of cultural biases, the reliance on news agencies, and the role of foreign correspondents in shaping public perception.
- The influence of Western media framing and cultural misconceptions on the reporting of the Iranian Revolution.
- The reliance of newspapers on international news agencies for foreign coverage.
- The role and professional challenges of foreign correspondents stationed in Iran during the revolutionary period.
- The tension between providing objective reporting and satisfying editorial and reader expectations in Western newspapers.
- A comparative analysis of editorial decisions and information selection in The Guardian and Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Excerpt from the Book
III.1 Trouble at the Iranian-Israeli Border
Eleven people have died during heavy clashes between demonstrators and security forces in Paveh, near the Israeli border
This was written in the Süddeutsche Zeitung in issue 251/1978. The clashes took place between Iranian security forces and Iranian demonstrators. One might wonder, why both parties chose a place as far away from Iran as the Israeli border to clash with each other. And which Israeli border was it anyway? The one Israel shares with Syria? Or the one it shares with Jordan? But then again, Paveh is a town in western Iran, in the province of Kermanshah. So it must have been the Iranian- Israeli border. The only problem here is of course, that there is no border between Iran and Israel. A look at a decent map of the region would have shown the writer, that there are actually a few countries, such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, between Iran and Israel.
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: The introduction outlines the research focus on how Western media reported the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and discusses the conceptual framework of Western cultural biases.
CHAPTER ONE: This chapter provides an overview of the Iranian Revolution of 1979, exploring its unique features that defied existing Western revolutionary theories.
CHAPTER TWO: This chapter presents a brief history of The Guardian and the Süddeutsche Zeitung to provide context for their editorial profiles and political leanings.
CHAPTER THREE: This chapter examines the role of news bureaus in the global flow of information and analyzes the function and challenges of foreign correspondents in Iran.
CHAPTER FOUR: This chapter analyzes selected articles from both newspapers to demonstrate how information was selected and framed for the respective readerships.
CONCLUSION: The conclusion summarizes the study's findings, highlighting the pervasive impact of cultural prejudices and the reliance on news agencies in Western reporting on the Iranian Revolution.
Keywords
Iranian Revolution, The Guardian, Süddeutsche Zeitung, foreign correspondents, news agencies, media bias, Orientalism, cultural misconceptions, political reporting, Iran, 1979, international journalism, press analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this dissertation primarily about?
The work examines how Western newspapers, specifically The Guardian and the Süddeutsche Zeitung, reported on the Iranian Revolution of 1978/1979 and whether their coverage was influenced by cultural prejudices.
What are the central themes of the research?
Key themes include the reliance of media on international news agencies, the challenges faced by foreign correspondents in non-Western environments, and the tendency of Western journalists to view events through a pre-existing ideological or cultural grid.
What is the primary objective of the study?
The primary goal is to analyze how these specific media outlets understood and reported the revolutionary events, what sources they relied upon, and to what extent cultural misconceptions tainted their reporting.
Which scientific method is used?
The study employs a media analysis approach, comparing the coverage of specific events in both newspapers, conducting interviews with former correspondents, and examining the organizational influence of news bureaus.
What is covered in the main section of the book?
The main section investigates the history of the selected newspapers, the role of international news bureaus, the professional challenges and personal biases of correspondents, and a detailed analysis of how specific reports were edited and framed for the audience.
What are the characterizing keywords of the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Iranian Revolution, media bias, foreign correspondents, news bureaus, and Orientalism.
How did the news agencies influence the reporting of the revolution?
The research indicates that newspapers were heavily reliant on information from international news agencies, which meant that reports in different papers often contained identical information or errors, and these agencies held significant power in setting the news agenda.
What were the findings regarding the correspondents' cultural perspectives?
The author found that even correspondents who were familiar with Iran and spoke the language were not free from cultural preconceptions, and they tended to operate within "Western ghettos," relying on Western sources and diplomatic contacts more than on local perspectives.
- Quote paper
- BA(Hons) Edgar Klüsener (Author), 2006, The Iranian Revolution of 1978/1979 and how Western newspapers reported it, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/60069
