Television Networks as Effective Factors on Public Culture a Case Study of CNN, Al-jazeera and Al-alam During the Second Persian Gulf War

Mass media functions plays a decisive role in the public culture of different societies. In a study conducted by the author of this article on news programs of three television networks, namely American CNN, Qatar’s Al-jazeera, Islamic republic of Iran Al-alam, during the second Persian Gulf war (2003), it was found that presence of independent media can both break up the media monopoly and biased coverage by monopolizing western media and provide new opportunities for mass media of countries defending the public culture. Accordingly, influence of mass media is very important on the public culture of different societies, because the present programs can play important role in stabilizing or transforming a culture. Today, for instance, children hear the earliest stories from television not from their parents.