فرزانه رحیمی

INTRODUCTION: Given the key role of the media in changing the attitudes and behavior of audiences, this study focuses on the impact of Iran's national media in strengthening or weakening public trust. Ineffective information dissemination in crises can lead to the spread of rumors and reduced collective participation. The aim of this research is to provide a scientific and practical framework and strategies for promoting media persuasion in crisis situations and its management with an emphasis on the Corona pandemic. METHODS: This applied research was conducted with a mixed approach. In the qualitative part, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 national media experts and managers and analyzed using data-based theory in three coding stages (open, axial, and selective). In the quantitative part, the extracted components were used as the basis for designing a specialized questionnaire based on the AHP technique, which was distributed among 400 media experts and analyzed with Expert Choice software. The validity of the tools was confirmed by experts and the reliability was confirmed with Cronbach's alpha of 0.87. FINDINGS: Data analysis showed that the most effective media persuasion strategies in the Corona crisis are: transparency and honesty of information (0.23), use of trusted experts (0.19), production of targeted content (0.17), two-way interaction with audiences (0.15), institutional cohesion (0.13), and use of new technologies (0.13). These components explain a total of 78% of the variance in public trust. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that effective persuasion in health crises requires a multidimensional approach that simultaneously pays attention to content, structural, and communication dimensions. The model proposed in this study can be a basis for designing national media strategies in future crises and systematic implementation of these strategies can increase the effectiveness of persuasion by up to 70%.

INTRODUCTION: Since systemic limitations such as managerial weaknesses, lack of specialized skills, flawed policymaking, and inefficient structures have created serious challenges in the persuasion process. This study aims to design a strategic model for audience persuasion by the national media during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. METHODS: This research uses the grounded theory approach as a qualitative method. Data were collected through open-ended interviews and purposeful sampling of 20 experts and specialists related to the subject. The final model includes 264 codes, 85 concepts, and 78 categories. Data collection and analysis continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. FINDINGS: According to the findings, factors such as flawed policymaking, ineffective interaction between the media and other sectors, lack of efficient managerial structures, and unhealthy competition were among the key barriers to audience persuasion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The final strategic model identifies capacities and suggests solutions to improve the audience persuasion process. CONCLUSION: The results showed that fundamental reforms in structures, strengthening persuasive expertise, clarifying policies, improving interactions, and increasing public trust are necessary for the national media to play a more effective role in future crises. Therefore, paying attention to the values ​​of the audience and utilizing cultural capacities can turn the national media into a powerful tool for crisis management.