Mission statehood: portraits of the second Palestinian intifada in US news media

Abstract

Media play a pivotal role in reporting news of distant conflicts. In doing so, they also construct normal/deviant dichotomies. This study investigates construction of Palestinian political violence in US news media within the second Palestinian intifada. It sheds light on media's role as agents of social control and influence by examining labels on violence committed by various parties and the use of primordial- and instrumental-type explanations of national identity and mobilization, among others. Two key intifada moments were picked: Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's visit to the Jerusalem shrine and the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Ze'evi. Analysis indicated journalist attachment of terrorism exclusively to Palestinians, undermining Palestinian violence as legitimate resistance means. Also, religious and secular identities were conflated in attempting to identify parties of the conflict, thereby mishandling the primordial paradigm. News media's role in social control and influence is thus undeniable, but the adequacy thereof is a separate question.