Objective: This study aimed to develop a comprehensive model for addressing the challenges encountered by media professionals within the framework of the Labor Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran by leveraging media capacity. Given the growing influence of media in shaping public awareness, policy implementation, and labor relations, strengthening the interaction between media institutions and labor regulations has become increasingly significant. The study sought to identify the key dimensions influencing this relationship and to propose a validated conceptual model for improving the implementation of labor law for media practitioners.
Method: This applied research adopted an exploratory mixed-methods design integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were collected using a cross-sectional design. In the qualitative phase, thematic analysis was employed to identify the major concepts associated with media capacity and labor law issues. The primary documentary source consisted of the Labor Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran, supplemented by expert opinions. Qualitative participants included media specialists, labor experts from the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, and university scholars specializing in media studies, sociology, and labor law. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population comprised 130 experts, including 25 media specialists, 75 labor experts (25 national and provincial officials, 25 county-level managers and specialists, and 25 media officials and practitioners), and 30 university academics. According to the Morgan table, 97 participants were required; to enhance statistical reliability, the sample size was increased to 100 respondents. Qualitative data were analyzed through theoretical coding using MAXQDA, while quantitative analyses were conducted using SPSS 23 and LISREL 8.8. Pearson correlation, structural equation modeling (SEM), and one-sample t-tests were employed to validate the proposed model.
Results: The qualitative analysis identified 61 subcategories, which were organized into six principal themes representing the core components of the proposed model. These themes included: (1) the necessity of media literacy education; (2) the impact of media literacy on media professionals; (3) effective management of media capacity; (4) educational strategies for enhancing media capacity; (5) attention to media policymaking with an emphasis on strengthening media capacity; and (6) improving awareness and skills related to media capacity. The quantitative findings demonstrated satisfactory construct validity and significant relationships among these dimensions. Structural equation modeling confirmed an acceptable model fit, indicating minimal measurement errors and strong explanatory power.
Conclusions: The findings indicate that strengthening media literacy, enhancing media capacity, improving policymaking, and developing professional competencies are essential for addressing the challenges faced by media professionals under the Iranian Labor Law. The proposed model demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability, providing an integrated framework for policymakers, labor authorities, media organizations, and academic institutions. Incorporating media capacity into labor policy development can improve legal awareness, support professional rights, strengthen stakeholder communication, and contribute to more effective implementation of labor regulations affecting media professionals in Iran.