Framing terrorism: A comparative content analysis of ISIS news on RT Arabic and Sky News Arabia websites

Abstract

This study compares RT Arabic and Sky News Arabia websites in their coverage of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria violent organization known as ISIS from 1 June 2014 until 30 June 2016, in terms of framing type and the image reflected about ISIS. The quantitative content analysis of the news articles shows similarities and few differences in the news coverage of ISIS. The study suggests that RT and Sky News share a few features in framing ISIS but still differ significantly. The two websites adopt mainly the conflict frame in presenting ISIS issues; however, they report ISIS differently when it comes to violence and human interest frames. The findings also reveal that RT and Sky News differ partially in the image reflected about ISIS on their websites. RT has exaggerated ISIS’s image more distinctly than Sky News. Besides, even though threat is the most dominant discourse about ISIS in the two websites, RT promotes ISIS as powerful and exaggerates its strength in its coverage more than Sky News.