Background and objective In scientific texts on crisis management in Iran, crisis mostly refers to natural disasters and less attention has been made to man-made disasters. In this article, by emphasizing three prediction, prevention, and preparation phase of crisis management, we aim to identify the driving factors and the consequences of mainstream media’s effective activism in managing socio-political crises in Iran.
Method This is a qualitative study. The participants were 15 media policymakers, experts in the field of crisis management, and politicians in the field of socio-political affairs in Iran, who were selected by purposive and snowball sampling methods and semi-structured interviews continued until reaching until reaching theoretical saturation. The data analysis method was the thematic content analysis. 
Results From a total of 250 initial codes, 159 basic themes, 26 organizing themes, and 8 global themes were obtained. Based on the findings, the role of the media in socio-political crisis management before, during, and after the crisis included supporting public opinion, raising awareness, holding responsible institutions accountable, informing, and having strategic function. The factors driving effective media activism in predicting socio-political crises included infrastructure drivers, functional capability, human resources, professional standards, and social capital. The consequences of effective media activism in predicting socio-political crises were: Social, political, and media’s social responsibility-related consequences.  The factors driving effective media activism in preventing socio-political crises were divided into the drivers related to the public and the drivers related to the government/crisis managers. The consequences of effective media activism in preventing socio-political crises were divided into macro and micro consequences. The factors driving effective media activism in preparing for socio-political crises included process-related, content-related, and contextual drivers. The consequences of effective media activism in preparing for socio-political crises were categorized into three areas: Educational, psychological, and functional outcomes.
Conclusion The mainstream media in Iran can have effective activism in predicting, preventing, and preparing for social-political crises.