The Role of Islamic Government in Persuading Public Opinion with Emphasis on the Moral Model of Media

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to review the role of government in persuading public opinion with emphasis on the moral model of the media. This research, using data analysis and studying the Qur’an and some traditions, with regard to the difference between moral persuasion and deceitful strategies, presented the ethical model of media to persuade public opinion and showed that it is inevitable for the Islamic government to employ and oversee some media compatible with the abovementioned model in order to continually accompany them. This model relies on the basics of communication and involves ethical principles and indices such as benevolence and honesty of the broadcaster, validity and transparency of the message, respect for the audience, and observation of their level of understanding. Each of the above principles has some criteria according to which the public media are ethically compelled to act through all stages of designing, packaging, and presenting the persuasive messages so they do not have a right to use unethical strategies for public persuasion because the morality of persuasion mechanism keeps the public opinion stay tuned.