Despite scattered research on audience rights in media, a systematic examination of the challenges to audience rights in Iranian cinema has remained neglected. This qualitative study was conducted with the aim of explaining the challenges to audience rights in Iranian cinema. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 experts and practitioners in the field of cinema. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis based on the model by Braun and Clarke (2006), which led to the extraction of 31 basic themes, 9 organizing themes, and 3 overarching themes.
The findings revealed that the challenges to audience rights in Iranian cinema constitute a multi-layered system, categorizable into three levels: At the macro level, there is a paradigmatic conflict between a "protective" approach with its stringent and non-transparent perspective and a "rights-based" view of the audience. At the meso (intermediate) level, functional deficiencies are evident, including scattered regulations, inefficient institutions, and a lack of transparent mechanisms for audience participation and complaint. At the output level, these challenges have led to the objective deprivation of the audience from the right to choice, appropriate quality, and fair access.
Accordingly, proposed solutions are presented at three levels: at the macro level, redefining theoretical foundations and formulating comprehensive legislation; at the meso level, launching a complaint system and establishing an age-rating/classification system; and at the output level, improving physical standards and transparency in advertising. By presenting a three-level conceptual framework, this study provides a fresh understanding of the challenges to audience rights in Iranian cinema.