Introduction: With the advancement of technology in the field of media and changes in how it is used, media play a vital role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by contributing to education, cultural development, socialization, strengthening interactions, and establishing connections.In the past decade, with the emergence of new forms of media that offer greater accessibility and changes in how information is received and consumed, new capacities have been created for empowering SMEs. These new capacities help attract more customers and, at the same time, offer increased opportunities for business expansion, access to new technical knowledge, and the discovery of sustainable financial resources and skilled labor.However, SMEs face serious challenges in utilizing these capacities due to structural, knowledge-related, and communication limitations.This study was conducted with the aim of designing an integrated media model to support the development of SMEs within the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the city of Isfahan, using the grounded theory approach.

Methodology: This qualitative research was conducted using grounded theory methodology. The study population consisted of 25 specialists in media, entrepreneurship, and policy-making fields, selected via purposive sampling methodology until reaching theoretical saturation. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. The emerging categories were organized using the Strauss and Corbin paradigm model, including causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening factors, strategies, and outcomes.

Findings: The analysis yielded 87 initial concepts, which were categorized into 24 subcategories and 6 core categories. "Structural-functional challenges of SMEs" were identified as causal conditions, encompassing communication-related, knowledge-based, and media-marketing issues. The contextual conditions involved cultural-social, economic-technological, and legal-institutional infrastructures. Intervening conditions included policy, infrastructural, institutional, and media-related factors. The proposed strategies, defined under "media-structural empowerment," addressed content development, human resource training, infrastructure enhancement, and business model design. The central phenomenon, termed the "integrated media model," consisted of four key components: specialized media structure, institutional coordination, networked communication, and purposeful content production. The implementation of this model resulted in positive outcomes across three levels: economic-entrepreneurial, socio-cultural, and ecosystemic.

Conclusion/ Implications: The results indicate that the absence of a targeted and coherent media system constitutes a significant barrier to the effective utilization of entrepreneurial capacities. The designed model, focusing on structural, content-based, communicational, and managerial dimensions of media, can serve as an operational solution for strengthening intra-ecosystem interactions, supporting the growth of small and medium enterprises, and enhancing synergy among stakeholders. It is recommended that policymakers, media institutions, and ecosystem stakeholders consider this model in their decision-making and strategic planning processes.