Investigating the State of Civil Society and the Evolution of the Press in the Six Periods of the Islamic Revolution of Iran

The purpose of this study is to investigate the situation of civil society and the press in the six periods of the Islamic Revolution of Iran and the relationship between them in these periods. In this study, the qualitative content analysis along the historical method has been used. The unit of analysis in this research was the prominent press editorials of both sides of the country from the years after the revolution that have provoked the reaction of the press in important events that simultaneously involved the society and the power. First of all, the editorials about mentioned events were studied and from among them, two texts that represent the view of the publications of each faction were selected. In addition to analyzing their qualitative content, an attempt has been made to examine numerous authoritative sources. In this research, the six historical periods analyzed are: 1- The beginning of the revolution 2- The period of war 3- The post-war period (construction government) 4- The period of reforms 5- The period of fundamentalism 6- The period of moderation.Comparing the six periods of the press, in general, the fourth period (reform) can be considered the brightest time for civil society and the transformed press, in which the press has acted as an effective force in the growth of civil society. In these circumstances, civil society has also paved the way for the transformation of the press