143. Name: Sabah A. Harahsheh Title: Analysis of Al Jazeera Channel’s Discourse on the Arab Spring in Syria: The “Opposite Direction” as Case Study Institution: Middle East University Country: Jordon Date: 2013 Language: Arabic Abstract: This study offers a rhetorical analysis of Al Jazeera’s discourse on the Syrian crisis since the beginning of the uprising in March 2011 until September 2012. The research focuses on the “Opposite Direction” talk show as a case study in order to give a close reading into the channel’s political discourse. The aim of this analysis is to uncover any evidence supporting the claim of those who consider Al Jazeera an evolved form of the Arab official media, whose main objective is to bolster the legitimacy of the sponsoring state and serve its strategic interests. The analysis covers all the episodes of the program that dealt with the Syrian crisis. This particular program was chosen because it is considered the most controversial talk show since it started in 1996. The findings showed that the “Opposite Direction” discusses the Syrian crisis within the framework of the impossibility of reform and the exclusion of any political solution. This perspective encourages viewers to choose what can be achieved rather than adhering to any established principles or ideologies, and this corresponds to Qatar’s approach to the crisis.
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