An analysis on the construction of hegemonic discourses in breaking news coverage on international terrorism
Author
Cruz Alvarez, Diego
Term
10. term
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-07-28
Pages
77
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan vestlige massemedier i de allerførste faser af breaking-news-dækning af internationale terrorhændelser sprogligt og narrativt medproducerer hegemoniske forståelser, der forbinder terror med islam og muslimer. Med afsæt i den markante omlægning af mediediskurser efter 11. september 2001 og den efterfølgende “krig mod terror” beskriver afhandlingen, hvordan begrebet radikalisering er blevet en dominerende linse, der ofte rammesætter dækningen i et “Vesten vs. islam”-perspektiv og bidrager til stereotype fremstillinger af muslimske fællesskaber som en “mistænkelig” gruppe. Afhandlingens centrale spørgsmål er: (1) hvordan anti-muslimske hegemoniske rammer spontant etableres i de første mediefortællinger om nylige voldelige angreb, og (2) hvilke sproglige valg og diskursive greb der understøtter koblingen mellem international terror og islam. Metodisk gennemføres en dybdegående diskursanalyse af tidlig breaking-news-dækning i udvalgte vestlige medier (her forstået som EU, USA, Canada og Australien) med fokus på etikettering, kilder, fortælleformer og “os-dem”-opdelinger. Undersøgelsen forankres i begreber om terror og kommunikation, hegemoni, sprogideologi, anti-muslimske dagsordener, moralsk panik og islamofobi for at belyse, hvordan tidlige medienarrativer kan forstærke bestemte forståelser og forbigå alternative forklaringer. Fund fra analyserne er ikke præsenteret i det medfølgende uddrag.
This thesis examines how Western mass media, during the very first minutes and hours of breaking-news coverage of international terror incidents, use language and narrative choices to co-produce hegemonic understandings that link terrorism with Islam and Muslims. Building on the post‑9/11 shift in media discourses and the ensuing “war on terror,” the study outlines how radicalization has become a dominant lens that frames coverage in a “West vs. Islam” narrative and contributes to stereotypical portrayals of Muslim communities as a “suspect” group. It asks: (1) how anti‑Muslim hegemonic frames are naturally produced in early reporting on recent violent attacks, and (2) which linguistic features and discursive devices support the linkage between international terrorism and Islam. Methodologically, the project conducts in‑depth discourse analysis of early breaking‑news reporting across selected Western outlets (here, the EU, the United States, Canada, and Australia), focusing on labeling, sourcing, storytelling, and “us–them” divisions. The analysis is grounded in concepts of terrorism and communication, hegemony, language ideology, anti‑Muslim agendas, moral panic, and Islamophobia to show how early media narratives can amplify particular interpretations while sidelining alternative causes. Findings are not included in the provided excerpt.
[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]
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