An Investigation of the Effect of Social Status on IRIB Reporters' Media Literacy

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of social status on the media literacy of reporters. The present study can be classified as applied research based on its intended purpose. Furthermore, regarding the data collection method, this study is categorized as descriptive research. The statistical population of the study comprised all employed reporters and news editors working in two television channels (one and two) and radio stations owned by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). The exact number of individuals within this population is currently unknown. The present study employed Cochran's formula to determine the sample size, resulting in a selection of 200 reporters while for this purpose a completely random sampling technique was used. The study employed the Bourdieu Cultural Capital Questionnaire in conjunction with a Media Literacy Questionnaire to gather data. The content validity method was employed to ascertain the validity of the research instrument. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the construct of social capital was determined to be 0.81, while the coefficient for media literacy was found to be 0.76. The statistical SPSS21 was utilized to conduct data analysis. The results of the study indicated a moderate and positive correlation (r = 0.226) between the social capital of reporters and their media literacy. The findings of the multivariable regression analysis aimed at examining the effect of social capital on media literacy revealed that the components of relationships, participation, and social cohesion negatively and inversely affect media literacy.