This thesis analyzes the representation of the Israel-Palestine conflict in Swedish and international news media, with focus on the escalation following an attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Drawing inspiration from prior research, the study explores the media's role in shaping public perceptions of the conflict. The theoretical framework combines semiotics and framing theory to dissect the narrative construction in media. A qualitative approach using critical discourse analysis is employed to examine 63 articles from Aftonbladet, The Guardian, and Al Ahram. The analysis identifies three central themes: perpetrators, victims, and the right to self-defense. These themes are further dissected into sub-themes focusing on the portrayal of violence, militant groups, and specifically the suffering of children. The findings reveal significant disparities in the representation of the conflict across the three news outlets. Aftonbladet and The Guardian often portray Hamas as the primary perpetrator, using strong language and metaphors to emphasize aggression and violence, whereas Al Ahram presents a narrative that focuses more on the suffering of Palestinians, depicting Israel as the aggressor. The portrayal of victims in these outlets varies, with a noticeable emphasis on the suffering of children to evoke empathy and highlight the human cost of the conflict. The right to self-defense is depicted differently, with Western media emphasizing Israel's security needs and Al Ahram highlighting the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and resistance against occupation. The study concludes that the media's representation is deeply influenced by sociocultural and political contexts, which shape public perception and understanding of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-220222 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Mahari, Jonathan |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för kultur- och medievetenskaper |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
Page generated in 0.0021 seconds