62. Name: Tarek Cherkaoui Title: Orientalism, Pan-Arabism, and Military-Media Warfare: A Comparison between CNN and Al Jazeera Coverage of the 2003 Iraq War Institution: Auckland University of Technology Country: New Zealand Date: 2010 Language: English Abstract: While CNN represents the pioneering example of a global television news network since its coverage of the 1991 Gulf War, a noticeable growth of satellite television in the Middle East propelled Al Jazeera to become the leading transnational satellite news outlet in the region. During the 2003 Iraq war, a tense competition took place between both networks with an ensuing clash of frames. While on CNN, political and military elites echoed the neo-conservative commitment to pre- emptive war and ultra-expansion in the Middle East, on Al Jazeera, the prevalent discourse resented any foreign hegemony over the region. This study outlines the historical underpinning for this clash of frames, as well as a geo-political and ideological background, which explains and details the legacies of Western – Middle Eastern conflicts. One of the most enduring historical legacies is the prevalence of the Orientalist discourse, which produced Western constructions of the Orient, positioning Eastern cultures and religions as inferior to those of the West. In the meantime, the Pentagon played a major role in trying to influence the nature of the coverage through its increasingly sophisticated propaganda mechanism.
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