News Science Quarterly (NS)

News Science Quarterly (NS)

The Representation of Afghan Women Before and After Taliban Rule in Persian-language Media (A Study of BBC Persian and Radio Farda Websites)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Zeinab Karimian 1
Afsaneh Mozafari 2
Tahmures Shiri 3
1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Communications, Faculty of Human Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. E-mail z.karimianzeinab.k@gmail.com
2 Corresponding author, Associate Professor, Department of Communications, of Human Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. E-mail: Dr.Afsaneh.Mozaffari@gmail.com
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Communications, Islamic Azad University of Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran. E-mail: Shiri.tahmures@gmail.com
10.22034/lrsi.2024.475694.1235
Abstract
Objective: The image that we have from the world around us is due to experience of exposure to reports and images presented by media. the way that women represented in media also is related to ideology, beliefs and content producer`s purposes and different representation will lead different interpretation from audiences. The image that media portrayed from the flows of women's lives in most of the time is on the basis of ideology govern their media and the media's definition of women is the repetition of stereotypical roles and stereotypes about them but they choose some content that is in accordance with their ideology and media policy and by ignoring the opposing views they leave the opposing views and thoughts unsaid. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to research the representation of Afghan women during the Taliban rule and before that on the BBC persian and Radio Farda news websites in the years 2020-2021.
Methods: In this study it is used a content analysis to represent the role of women in media content.
Results: The findings of this research showed that bias in media coverage of women's news is common and based on this, it can be said that in both websites in 2 years of this study, a negative image of Afghan women was presented in the news.
Conclusions: In general, the approach of these two websites toward the issues of women is completly negative. On Radio Farda, whether before the Taliban rule or after, the representation of Afghan women is completely negative, while BBC Persian has paid a bit attention to positive news of women in the representation of Afghan women. However, when the Taliban coming to power, the coverage of positive news in Persian BBC has also decreased.
Keywords
Representation
Taliban
Afghan women
BBC Persian News
Radio Farda
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News Science Quarterly (NS)

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 December 2026