The American Newspapers Websites' Treatment of the Palestinian Marches of Return: A Comparative Analytical Study using Propaganda Model

Abstract

This study aimed at examining the validity of Propaganda Model (PM), mainly the relationship between American media and US dominant political elites, by revealing the extent of media coverage given to the “Return Marches” by two US lead- mainstream News websites, New York Times & Washington Post, and frames used to shape perceptions about it, in addition to trends and sources. The Study is descriptive, and employed a qualitative and quantitative content analysis, through which a systematic comparison were made to all articles published during a time span, extended from 30/3/2018 to 30/9/2018. The key findings indicate a covertly bias in favour of Israel, despite the overtly neutral-like coverage, by which the two websites tried to justify the Israeli assaults against peaceful demonstrators, given more prominence to anti-Palestinian frames, depending mostly on Israeli official sources. The study concluded the validity of PM methodological expectations, and the existence of a dependence relationship, in which the American media tends to serve the interests of the US dominant elites, mainly with foreign policy issues, which proves the state of strategical alliance with Israel, and the US boundless support to any Israeli steps taken against the Palestinians.