Taking a historical perspective on the evolution of human civilization, especially in the last two centuries, it becomes evident that the role and significance of media practitioners in enlightening and promoting shared human values such as justice, peace, and opposition to injustice in various societies worldwide have been highly vital and influential.
Media outlets, serving as platforms for the dissemination of information and perspectives, possess exceptional and unparalleled potential for altering attitudes and catalyzing societal transformations. In recent decades, with the development of modern communication technologies, particularly in the virtual realm, the landscape of media and media-related activities has undergone a significant transformation.
To become an influential media actor, one no longer requires a professional background within traditional media entities like newspapers and television news networks. Instead, due to the emergence of innovative social media platforms such as Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), any interested and concerned individual can evolve into an influential media actor, often referred to as an influencer. Media influencers, due to the high penetration rate of virtual-based social media, are capable of raising awareness about issues and narratives that receive limited coverage from official media sources.
For instance, they can address topics like poverty, inequality, and climate change, providing information on the root causes of these issues, thereby alerting the public to the need for vigilant discourse on solutions. Furthermore, these media influencers assist their audience in gaining a deeper understanding of priorities that traditional media, often under the influence of Western capitalist systems, tend to overlook.
This information dissemination fosters public discourse on subjects that are frequently neglected by hegemonic interests. For example, coverage of issues such as the suppression of Muslim women in Europe, racial and religious discrimination against religious minorities in countries like France, or the oppression of the Palestinian people by the Zionist regime can bring attention to and amplify these matters that are systematically censored or disregarded by Western media.
Fortunately, global studies indicate that women journalists and media activists today hold a significant and distinct position in the realm of media enlightenment, with their capacity and capabilities in raising awareness among audiences being remarkable.
According to a report from the United Nations in 2022, women constitute 40% of the world’s media practitioners. It is interesting to note that in 2010, women represented only 30% of media practitioners worldwide, indicating the rapid growth and substantial contribution of women in the global media landscape. Therefore, the collaborative efforts and networking of female media activists worldwide can lead to the creation of a highly capable and globally impactful media network. This capacity, when realized, can serve as an effective platform for promoting and disseminating common human values and virtues, including freedom and opposition to injustice.
Moreover, this capacity can be harnessed effectively to confront oppression and tyranny, especially in dealing with global hegemonic forces, particularly in relation to the oppressed Palestinian nation.
Fortunately, the initiative to host the inaugural Media Festival in Mashhad, along with the establishment of a network of influential female media figures from all corners of the globe, can potentially serve as a catalyst for enhancing our country’s soft power and media diplomacy on a global scale, focusing on the promotion of genuine and shared human values. In conclusion, it is important to recognize that the design and implementation of such a valuable initiative, especially under the constraints imposed by global hegemonic forces, reflects the extraordinary capabilities and resilience of the Islamic Revolution and, in particular, the current revolutionary and people centricgovernment.