Content Analysis of the Cultural Messages on the Website of Allameh Tabatabai University

This study intends to explore the structure and content of the cultural messages on the website of Allameh Tabatabai University. As the main question of the research, we are looking for the content and structural characteristics of the textual or visual messages posted on the website. We used quantitative content analysis for this goal. The statistical population includes all of the textual and visual messages posted on the website throughout the second 6 months of the year 1393. We did not use sampling in this research and studied the whole population. The results show that the most number of messages were posted in the month of Azar and they were highlighted with pictures. More frequently the pictures are journalistic photos and they are less frequently archive photos. This indicates the activeness of the staff of the website and the fact that the website is kept updated. Graphic designs have been important in informative posters. The cultural deputy and then the students have made the most headlines. Only few stories have covered news on the dean of the university and the head of the Leader’s Office. This shows that the website does not revolve around individuals and the stories are chosen based on their news values. National as well as religious messages have been taken seriously. The main part of the website has been dealing with news and cultural stories. So it can be concluded that it has focused on its central duties and hasn’t gotten involved with trivial issues. Based on the theory of Telic Systems by Parsons, the majority of the messages follow the model of hidden system of organizing and controlling tensions. Among the communication theories, agenda setting is the theory based on which most of the cultural messages have been written. Since the audiences are mostly students, most messages deal with student affairs and cultural activities of the students. Also the messages include informative materials, reports on cultural activities, national and religious occasions and they include Quran verses and religious quotes and stories.