MEDIA DYNAMICS IN AFGHANISTAN: THE SCOPE OF IRANIAN INFLUENCE

Abstract

This paper examines the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) as a state-run media complex central to Iran’s constitutional model of state-controlled mass communications. It outlines IRIB’s governance (Supreme Leader oversight, advisory council), resources (2009 budget and staffing), and declared international mission to promote Iranian history, culture, and the ideological tenets of the Islamic Revolution. The study maps the World Service infrastructure—satellite TV, radio, and multilingual web output—and analyzes its use in advancing counter-narratives to Western media. Focusing on Afghanistan, it shows how evolving media consumption enabled IRIB to cultivate affinity through Dari, Tajik, and Pashto programming, with documented expansion of TV/radio reach and external financing flows. Statements by senior IRIB officials (e.g., on “media war,” Pars Today, and soft-power strategy) illustrate a deliberate public-diplomacy approach that converts emergent signals into durable “nodes of affinity.” The paper concludes that IRIB functions as a strategic soft-power instrument, pairing discursive messaging with cultural diplomacy to shape regional information environments.