Contrasting visual frames of our times: A framing analysis of English- and Arabic-language press coverage of war and terrorism

Abstract

By operationalizing visual frames in terms of the human-interest vs technical frame and the anti-war vs the pro-war frame, and exploring the use of two sets of framing devices: graphic portrayal and emphasis, this framing analysis of 1387 photographs examined contrasting visual narratives employed by English- and Arabic-language transnational press in covering the 9/11 attack and the Afghan War. For the English-language newspaper, the International Herald Tribune, the frames emphasized the human suffering of 9/11 and de-emphasized the civilian casualties and moral guilt of implementing military force in Afghanistan by focusing more on a pro-war frame that showed the complex military high-tech operations and patriotic pictures. For the Arabic-language newspaper, Al-Hayat, the frames focused less on the victims and more on the material destruction of 9/11 and humanized the victims of the Afghan War. Furthermore, it focused on an anti-war frame by running visuals of anti-war protests and emphasizing graphic visuals portraying the humanitarian crisis in the Muslim country of Afghanistan.