An Assessment of the Performance of National Medium by the Clergymen in Islamshahr, Tehran

National medium (state television) has a very important position as a religious medium in the political sphere of Iran. Increasing influence of religion, promoting religious tenets, reproducing religious messages in new formats, providing grounds for expression of religious sentiments and experiences, and providing grounds for spiritual development of people are among main missions of the national medium which have been included in the model of the religious medium. The present research uses a survey to assess religious performance of the national medium by posing questions to 124 clerics as experts on religion. The main tool used here is a questionnaire which assesses religious content and performance of the national medium on the basis of defined variables. The results show that the clergy respondents consider improper make-up of actresses (4.37), depicting relations between boys and girls which defy religious norms (4.19), and inattention to negative impact of gossip and lying as the main flaws of the national medium’s programs. They also argued that the performance of the national medium has been satisfactory with regard to the airing of Quran recitation by famous reciters (3.74), Friday Prayers ceremonies (3.73), airing mourning programs for holy Imams (3.45), and broadcasting various religious ceremonies (3.41). Respondents also maintained that the national medium has been more successful in airing mourning ceremonies (3.45) compared to ceremonies held to mark birthday of Imams and religious festivities (3.11).