Language, Power and Perception: A Critical Examination of BBC News Headlines on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Abstract

This research examines the critical discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with a particular focus on BBC news headlines following the October 7, 2023, incident. The study examines how language in BBC headlines typically depoliticizes the causes of violence while framing Palestinian suffering using Norman Fairclough's three-dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) model. The study finds patterns in textual, discursive, and social practices by closely examining ten chosen headlines. The results show that although the BBC's coverage humanizes Palestinian victims by emphasizing specific tragedies, it refrains from assigning blame directly and instead frames the incidents in a humanitarian narrative that is impartial. According to the study, this approach is consistent with wider media standards, emphasizing journalistic objectivity and emotional connection while avoiding political criticism. This study adds to the continuing conversation on media framing, accountability, and the power dynamics prevalent in war reporting by critically examining how Palestinian suffering is portrayed. The current study is expected to enhance media literacy among viewers and aid in the understanding of news articles' headlines.