Politainment in “Manoto TV”Critical discourse analysis of five documentary films

Politainment is a new type of political communications that could be seen in formats such as political satire, documentary films and TV shows.In this paper, five documentaries from “Manoto TV” (from Tehran to Cairo, 37 days, Reza Shah, Never Sleep Kurosh, Address Baharestan) about Islamic Revolution and Islamic Republic of Iran have been chosen. Critical discourse analyses have shown that Islamic Revolution and Islamic Republic of Iran have portrayed as “the other of Pahlavi”. Imam Khomeini has pictured against and as “the other of Shah”. In addition, Imam and Islamic revolution’s fans pictured against Shah Fans.In this films, Pahlavi and Shah portrayed as “we” and “Insider” but Islamic Revolution, Islamic Republic of Iran and Imam Khomeini portrayed as “other” and “Outsider”.In these documentaries, Shah, heir to the Achaemenes Empire and Cyrus, so, Pahlavi regime has been shown natural. In contrast, the Islamic Revolution has been shown as a result of foreign intervention and global superpower.Socio-political history of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been reduced to the revolutionary struggle for power and trying to eliminate opposition. The lack of freedom and intolerance in the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasized.Some of these documentary films talk candidly about Iran's future and the audience is encouraged to restore the Pahlavi regime.These critical discourse analyses have shown that “Manoto TV” is trying to promote and hegemonic discourse of Pahlavi regime and the royalists. It is an example of the media's soft war with the Islamic Republic of Iran.