Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Mahdi Sedghi ¹
• Mojtaba Amiri ²

¹ PhD Candidate/Management faculty of Tehran University

² Management Faculty/Tehran University

Abstract

The experience of broadcasting election debates in Iran in 2009,2013 and 2017 shows that these debates failed to express the views and plans of the candidates and instead of it candidates attacking and invading their competitors. The main purpose of this essay is to identify the conceptual model of debater’s interaction to describe interactions manner with competitors, in order to manage the televised debates.The research method of this research is the theory of grounded theory, and the data were obtained through a semi-structured, deep interview with 14 people who were familiar or involved in the process of planning, producing, and performing of debates.Findings of the research suggest that although personal characteristics and personality of the debaters are influential in choosing the approach of persuasion or action of attack and defense, the sudden change of political space during the election period, the short duration of electoral campaign, media policies in the design of the debate, The lack of mechanisms for verifying claims, inadequate rules for debates are among the factors that made the debaters use this opportunity to attack rivals and raise the level of tension in the program.

Keywords

• Televised debate
• electoral debate
• candidates for election
• Dialogue
• tension and conflict