Media Representation of National Identity through Cultural Event Management (Case Study: The "Iran Night" Event)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Nader Jafari Haftkhani 1
Mojtaba Faraji 2
Seyed Mohammad Attari 3
1 Associate Professor, Department of Commerce, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Management, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran.
2 PhD student, Culture and Communication, Imam Sadeq University, Tehran, Iran
3 PhD student, Culture and Communication, Imam Sadeq University, Tehran, Iran (corresponding author).
10.30497/smt.2026.250219.3718
Abstract
This study examines national identity representation in Persian-language news outlets, focusing on the "Iran Night" event as a symbolic occurrence. It investigates how news agencies narrated the event through specific semantic mechanisms to formulate distinct images of "Iran" and the "Iranian Self." Grounded in Representation Theory, Imagined Communities, and Social Identity Theory, the research elucidates the link between media texts, meaning production, and identity boundaries. Using Directed Qualitative Content Analysis*, news units were examined through three levels of open, axial, and selective coding. Findings reveal that the event did not emerge with a singular meaning but became a "battlefield of competing narratives." Media outlets reinforced themes of historical authority, symbolic demarcation against the "Other," or pluralistic readings of national heritage, sometimes framing Iran within a transnational civilizational horizon. Ultimately, the results demonstrate that media are not mere reflectors of national identity but active agents in producing, stabilizing, and redefining it within Iran’s contemporary public sphere.
Keywords
Media Representation
"
Iran Night"
Event
National Identity
Event Management
Qualitative Content Analysis
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 30 April 2026
  • Revise Date 12 May 2026
  • Accept Date 22 July 2026