The Politics of Representation: Analyzing Media Portrayals of the Palestinian Conflict

This research explores the media representation of the Palestinian issue by analyzing the construction of narratives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by certain articles and newspapers. Based on interdisciplinary approaches in the fields of discourse analysis, semiotics and media studies, the study examines linguistic and visual tactics used to influence the public’s perception in regards to the Palestinian identity, resistance, and victimhood. It brings to the fore how various media outlets (conscious of national ideologies, geo-political networks, and institutional predispositions) construct events, actors, and symbols so as to promote or challenge the Palestinian agency. A synthesis of recent scholarly analysis of global media platforms including The Guardian (UK), USA Today (USA), Dawn (Pakistan), The Indian Express (India), Al Jazeera English (Qatar), and Hürriyet Daily News (Turkey). The review has found recurring themes of depoliticization, asymmetrical framing, and ideological alignment. It postulates that the representations of mainstream media often follow power imbalance and geopolitical interest thereby relegating Palestinian voices to the background. The study puts strong emphasis on the necessity of critical media literacy as well as the necessity of more balanced and contextually imbedded representations of the Palestinian struggle in international journalism.