ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the condition of the Iranian journalistic field that is shaped by macrolevel and mesolevel factors. Through the concepts of habitus and doxa, this chapter explains the mechanism through which Iranian journalists internalize the rules of the journalistic game imposed by external and organizational forces and how it translates into their conduct. The first part addresses the mechanisms of the influence of a range of macro forces including the state crackdowns on media, the state use of coercion, imposing (un)written red lines, and the influences of factional actors and official news sources. This section also sheds light on the mechanism of the influence of a less visible factor: The state of uncertainty and ambiguities over the boundaries of acceptable coverage. The second part of this chapter discusses the influence of organizational forces, including (1) the position of news media shaped by their affiliations and policies and their level of willingness to play a politically risky game, (2) the hierarchal editing process, and (3) poor employment conditions. Providing fresh insights into what happens in the space of the newsrooms in Iran, this chapter addresses how news organizations function as intermediaries of external forces.
