Digital Controversy of Iran and the US (case Study: Mohamad Javad Zarif and Mike Pompeo)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of International Relations, Department of Political Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan

2 Ph.D student of International Relations, University of Isfahan, Isfahan

Abstract

Twitter is among the most effective microblogging in digital foreign policy and diplomacy. Most world politicians have active presence in in this micro blogging in order to disseminate their information, interact with their audience, and illustrate themselves or others for the purpose of public diplomacy. Mohamad Javad Zarif and Mike Pompeo are among politicians who illustrate themselves and the other through twiplomacy, seeking world positive public opinion towards their respective Governments. Therefore, the writers of this paper have used MAXQDA and three-step coding to answer this question: what image are these two politicians illustrating of themselves and of the other on Twitter, and for what purpose? The results of the content analysis of Zarif indicate an illustration of a law-abiding and peaceful country for Iran and an illustration of a bully and economic-terrorist for the United States. Notwithstanding that Pompeo illustrated a peaceful America, seeking the containment of Iran, and also illustrating Iran as the supporter of terrorism, authoritarian, militarist, and anarchist. This is a quantitative-qualitative research conducted through content analysis and the writers are seeking to assess the presentations of these two politicians from their own Government policies on Twitter by illustration theory.
 

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