Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture

Representation of Public Opinion in the Media and Its Impact on the Legislative Behavior of the Islamic Consultative Assembly

Articles in Press

Document Type : .

Author

Mahsa Rafiei Lak

PhD in Public Law, Islamic Azad University of Maybod

10.30465/ismc.2025.51628.2945
Abstract
This article examines the role of media in representing public opinion and how such representations influence the legislative behavior of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament of Iran). The central issue of this research is how topics such as improper veiling (bad hijab) and dog walking, through repeated coverage in the media and religious tribunes, are transformed into political-legal issues and subsequently lead to the enactment of laws and legislative bills. The primary aim of the study is to explain the discursive mechanisms that link public opinion, media representation, and legislative response.The main research question is: how do media representations of public opinion create the conditions for legislative action by the parliament? The hypothesis of the study suggests that legislators, under pressure from dominant media and religious discourses, respond through a reflexive process, enacting reactive laws rather than relying on expert analysis. The research employs a critical discourse analysis method and adopts a qualitative approach. The study population includes official media texts, religious sermons, and legal documents related to the two selected cases: chastity and hijab, and the prohibition of dog walking, within the time frame of 2020 to 2024.

Keywords

Representation
public opinion
legislation
parliament
reflective policymaking
Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 December 2025

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