The News Media At War
The Clash of Western and Arab Networks in the Middle East
By: Tarek Cherkaoui
During the 2003 War in Iraq, American news media found it difficult to convey their pro-war perspective outside the United States. Since the war was unpopular in many parts of the world, failure to win hearts and minds-particularly in the Middle East-represented a significant setback for the American soft power. This book explores what happened. It examines the cross-cultural factors that made American television networks cover the war very differently from their Arab counterparts. Underpinning this difference is a deep and insightful study, which explains why America and the Arab world misperceive each other. Tarek Cherkaoui reveals how geo-political and ideological legacies of the past, which divide the world into a dichotomy of 'us' against 'them', play a dominant role in reinforcing the ensuing polarization. He argues that this clash of perspectives provides a snapshot into the new realities of our globally connected world.
AI Overview
Overview of "The News Media at War" by Tarek Cherkaoui
Key Themes:
Contrasting Media Frames: The book examines the significant differences in how Western (primarily American) and Arab media networks, such as CNN and Al Jazeera, covered the 2003 Iraq War. It highlights how these networks framed the conflict, with Western media often adopting a pro-American, militaristic narrative, while Arab media like Al Jazeera focused on the human impact and the suffering of Iraqi civilians.
Orientalism and Ideological Legacies: The book delves into the geo-political and ideological legacies of Western-Middle Eastern conflicts, providing a broader context for understanding the contesting framing of the coverage. This includes analyzing the underlying ideologies used to promote or oppose the war and how protagonists were depicted.
Media Dynamics in International Conflicts: The study aims to provide a better understanding of the media dynamics surrounding international conflicts in the Middle East. It examines the news framing of key newsworthy events during the war, including the depiction of protagonists and the ideological load carried by media belonging to different cultures.
Analytical Approach: The book uses a triangulated analytical approach, incorporating keywords, rhetoric, frame, textual, and visual analysis to dissect four key events of the war. These events were selected for their newsworthiness and extensive real-time coverage by both CNN and Al Jazeera.
Plot Summary: The book focuses on the 2003 Iraq War as a defining event of the twenty-first century, examining how different global networks mediated its representation. It provides a detailed analysis of how CNN and Al Jazeera covered the war, highlighting their contrasting narratives. For instance, CNN framed the U.S. military actions as "Shock and Awe," while Al Jazeera used headlines like "Baghdad is Burning" to convey the destruction and human suffering.
The book also discusses specific incidents such as the killing of journalists during the war, where CNN framed these incidents as unconnected accidents, whereas Al Jazeera linked them and framed itself as a victim of its quest to provide straightforward facts, suggesting that it was targeted because it did not conform to the American narrative.
Critical Reception: The book has been praised for its originality and comprehensive analysis. It is noted for capturing a defining event of the twenty-first century in real-time and providing a useful background on the geo-political and ideological legacies of Western-Middle Eastern conflicts. The book aims to fill a gap in studies by comparing Western and Arab media coverage of the Iraqi War, offering insights into the media dynamics surrounding international conflicts in the region.
Overall, "The News Media at War" by Tarek Cherkaoui offers a nuanced and comparative analysis of how different media networks framed the 2003 Iraq War, shedding light on the complex dynamics of international conflict reporting.