ABSTRACT
The research laid out in this book uses the two equally rich fields of human rights and media communications to examine the human rights record of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The goal is to investigate the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the main government-funded means of communication in Iran, objectively. While the book relies on the work of many scholars and practitioners in various fields, this interdisciplinary study is the first of its kind to focus on human rights coverage in the media under a contemporary authoritarian regime that tolerates “formally autonomous organizations” until there are hints of their advocacy of democracy. The introductory chapter puts forward the aims of the book surrounding human rights and media, in particular, television in Iran, and the issues that have warranted the need for in-depth empirical research in response to the aims. Why television was chosen for analysis and why Iranian migrants were selected as the group of participants along with a brief description of the methodology are also addressed here. The chapter, finally, lays out the structure of the book and the content within each chapter.
