The Clash of Representations: A qualitative analysis of neo-orientalist discourse in Daesh propaganda and Mail Online news content

This thesis explores the cyclical construction and reproduction of neo-orientalist discourse in the post-9/11 world order, through a qualitative case study comparing and contrasting selected content from the British tabloid-style newspaper Mail Online, and the militant organization Daesh’s propaganda magazines Dabiq and Rumiyah. Analysis concerns a sample of articles highlighting dichotomies between the conceptual blocs of “Western Civilization” and “Islamic Civilization”; specifically the representation of Daesh on both sides of the discursive equation as a neo-orientalized entity, thereby arguably re-enforcing conceptions of Islam as an inherently barbaric, medieval, and threatening culture and religion. Based on the samples analyzed, this thesis uncovers a self-perpetuating cycle of neo-orientalist representation of Daesh, identifiable on a micro scale in its own publications as well as the British news publication. Similarities concerning the representation of Daesh in the...Show moreThis thesis explores the cyclical construction and reproduction of neo-orientalist discourse in the post-9/11 world order, through a qualitative case study comparing and contrasting selected content from the British tabloid-style newspaper Mail Online, and the militant organization Daesh’s propaganda magazines Dabiq and Rumiyah. Analysis concerns a sample of articles highlighting dichotomies between the conceptual blocs of “Western Civilization” and “Islamic Civilization”; specifically the representation of Daesh on both sides of the discursive equation as a neo-orientalized entity, thereby arguably re-enforcing conceptions of Islam as an inherently barbaric, medieval, and threatening culture and religion. Based on the samples analyzed, this thesis uncovers a self-perpetuating cycle of neo-orientalist representation of Daesh, identifiable on a micro scale in its own publications as well as the British news publication. Similarities concerning the representation of Daesh in the scrutinized samples are identified and deemed problematic, opening discussion into the realm of the ethics and responsibility of contemporary journalism.Show less

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The Clash of Representations: A qualitative analysis of neo-orientalist discourse in Daesh propaganda and Mail Online news content