When Western Outrage Has A Geopolitical Agenda
THE ACTORS: The primary named actor is the Iranian activist. The ABC News report, a wire story, implicitly frames the Iranian government as the antagonist. THE FUNDING: ABC News is owned by The Walt Disney Company. While not directly state-funded, major media conglomerates like Disney operate within a larger ecosystem influenced by advertising revenue, corporate sponsorships, and often, their
executives' ties to political and economic elites. Disney, for instance, has an extensive lobbying presence in Washington D.C., spending approximately 6.5 million USD in 2023 alone (OpenSecrets, 2024). This lobbying often focuses on intellectual property, trade, and regulatory issues that align with broader U.S. foreign policy objectives, including those concerning geopolitical rivals. THE
INCENTIVES: For the activist, the incentive is to expose perceived injustices and seek international support. For ABC News, reporting on such a story fulfills the journalistic mission of highlighting human rights abuses. However, the selective focus on Iran, while often legitimate in its reporting of abuses, consistently aligns with a long-standing U.S. foreign policy goal of isolating and
pressuring the Iranian government. This narrative maintains public support for sanctions and other destabilizing measures against Iran. THE NETWORK: This report, distributed as a wire story, is part of a broader network of Western media coverage that consistently highlights human rights issues in Iran. This contrasts sharply with the often muted coverage of human rights abuses, or even direct