A Faircloughian Critical Discourse Analysis of Ali Larijani’s Electoral Messages

Document Type : researcher

Authors
Abbas Ghanbari Baghestan 1
Sadegh VAfaeeNikoo 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 M.A. Student, Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/scm.2025.538691.1933
Abstract
An election campaign is one of the most significant arenas of political engagement for any politician—an opportunity to present the most calculated, deliberate, and favorable image of oneself. This article, drawing on Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and his three-dimensional model (description, interpretation, explanation), examines two key messages delivered by Ali Larijani during the 2024 Iranian presidential election: his announcement of candidacy and his withdrawal statement following disqualification by the Guardian Council. Given Larijani’s longstanding presence in Iran’s legislative, media, and ideological spheres—and his central role in the structure of power—these messages are treated not merely as communicative documents but as ideological and discursive texts. The article demonstrates how the language used in these messages reflects dynamics of power, official ideology, and strategies to maintain or redefine political positioning. In his entry message, Larijani employs brevity, metaphor, and ambiguity to portray himself as modern, people-oriented, and aligned with public agency. In contrast, the withdrawal message is more formal, explicit, and contains implicit criticism of the disqualification process, though it remains loyal to the political structure, framed in religious, polite, and institutional language. Ultimately, the study concludes that the two messages complement each other as part of a strategic effort to manage Larijani’s political image, sustain public legitimacy, and engage with power structures with minimal confrontation.

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Society Culture Media
Volume 14, Issue 55
Summer 2025
Pages 45-76

  • Receive Date 02 August 2025
  • Revise Date 03 October 2025
  • Accept Date 05 October 2025