2
PhD student in Media Studies, Faculty of Radio and Television Production, University of Radio and Television, Tehran, Iran
10.30465/ismc.2026.52895.2986
Abstract
This study investigates the role of lived experience podcasts in transforming the public sphere in Iran through a qualitative case study of the Persian podcast Radio Marz. As one of the most influential audio-based digital platforms, Radio Marz provides a space where marginalized voices and personal narratives become subjects of public discussion. Drawing upon Habermas's theory of the public sphere and communicative action, the study examines how lived experiences narrated through podcasts contribute to expanding public dialogue, challenging social taboos, and creating new forms of networked public participation. Using thematic analysis, twenty-five selected episodes were analyzed to identify the dominant social and cultural themes embedded within the narratives. The findings indicate that lived experience podcasts function as alternative communicative arenas that increase social awareness, reconstruct collective identities, stimulate critical reflection, and facilitate the formation of online communities. Consequently, podcasts not only enrich digital public discourse but also contribute to the structural transformation of the traditional public sphere in contemporary Iranian society.
hamraz,V and Zamani,M J . (2026). The Function of Lived Experience Podcasts in the Transformation of the Public Sphere; Case Study: Radio Marz. (e12607). Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, (), e12607 doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.52895.2986
MLA
hamraz,V , and Zamani,M J . "The Function of Lived Experience Podcasts in the Transformation of the Public Sphere; Case Study: Radio Marz" .e12607 , Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, , , 2026, e12607. doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.52895.2986
HARVARD
hamraz V, Zamani M J. (2026). 'The Function of Lived Experience Podcasts in the Transformation of the Public Sphere; Case Study: Radio Marz', Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, (), e12607. doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.52895.2986
CHICAGO
V hamraz and M J Zamani, "The Function of Lived Experience Podcasts in the Transformation of the Public Sphere; Case Study: Radio Marz," Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, (2026): e12607, doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.52895.2986
VANCOUVER
hamraz V, Zamani M J. The Function of Lived Experience Podcasts in the Transformation of the Public Sphere; Case Study: Radio Marz. Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture. 2026;():e12607 (In Persian). doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.52895.2986
