Dominant Discourse, State Propaganda, and Counter-Narratives in the Iranian Context (2025-2026): A Critical Analysis of Global Media Coverage

نویسنده: رضا عاشوری

Abstract This essay examines the theoretical and empirical dimensions of state propaganda as practiced by the Islamic Republic of Iran during the 2025–2026 crisis. It integrates foundational theoretical frameworks from media studies, cultural theory, and political economy to analyze how dominant discourse is produced, how global news outlets variously reproduce or resist it, and how audiences can develop critical tools to differentiate propaganda from independent reporting. Drawing on scholarly sources corroborated by reliable news agency investigations, the essay argues that propaganda is a structural phenomenon requiring systematic analytical strategies. Keywords: state propaganda, dominant discourse, counter-narrative, media framing, Islamic Republic of Iran protests Introduction When thousands of Iranians took to the streets on December 28, 2025, the Islamic Republic faced its largest wave of popular unrest since 1979. The regime’s response was swift and lethal. By January 8 and 9, 2026, Iranian security forces, including the IRGC and the Basij militia, unleashed what human rights monitors, eyewitnesses, and independent journalists described as a coordinated massacre. Estimated…

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