Table 4 Possible scenarios for the future of media and politics in Iran
Scenario (I): media struggle | Scenario (II): diverse media | Scenario (III): surveillance media |
|---|---|---|
Semi-totalitarian state remains | More democratic state emerges | State grows to more totalitarian regime |
Oligopoly media market with state regulatory dominance, controlling media content and infrastructures | More competitive media market with multi stakeholders especially on infrastructures, regulatory state without ownership | Media market reduces to less state competitor from different state sectors, no public or private sector particularly in infrastructures |
Fragile civil society | More powerful civil society | Less powerful civil society |
No evolutionary transformation in media technology | Some revolutionary transformation occurs, to some extent free of state control or surveillance | Surveillance technologies serve state and private sectors to block or filter alternative voices |
Traditionalism vs. modernism | Modernism discourse predominance | Traditionalism discourse supremacy |