Framing the Onset of Conflict: A Comparative Analysis of CNN and Al Jazeera English Coverage of the Israel–Hamas War (October 7, 2023)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69892/jawzjanan.2025.93Keywords:
Al Jazeera English, CNN, Israel–Hamas conflict, , Media framing, Public opinion, , War journalismAbstract
During war and conflict, news media not only report events but also create initial interpretive frameworks that guide public understanding. This study examines the formation of these frameworks during the first three days of coverage (October 8–10, 2023) following the outbreak. We conducted a comparative quantitative content analysis of 60 news articles from CNN and Al Jazeera English (AJE), focusing on source selection, news tone, and depth of coverage. These dimensions are examined as observable framing mechanisms that shape early interpretations of the conflict. The results indicate apparent differences in framing strategies, despite a shared commitment to linguistic neutrality. CNN relied primarily on official US and government sources and provided brief, episodic coverage that framed the war primarily as a geopolitical crisis managed by diplomatic actors. AJE, in contrast, provided greater coverage and drew on a broader range of sources, including independent experts and victims of the war, to construct a thematic framework focused on the human consequences and historical context. This study argues that in the early stages of war, structural choices such as source selection and scope are crucial framing mechanisms that shape public opinion before the complexity of war is fully understood.
References
Alitavoli, R. (2020). Framing the news on the Syrian War: A comparative study of antiwar.com and cnn.com editorials. Media, War and Conflict, 13(4), 487–505. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750635219850326
Bishop, R., & Fedorocsko, M. (2020). A Good Fooling: Journalism’s Narrative of Surprise Military Homecomings. Media, War and Conflict, 13(3), 300–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750635219828760
Dimitrova, D. V., & Connolly-Ahern, C. (2007). A tale of two wars: Framing analysis of online news sites in coalition countries and the Arab World during the Iraq War. Howard Journal of Communications, 18(2), 153–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/10646170701309973
Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing : Towards Clarification of a Fractured Paradigm Framing. Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51–58.
Entman, R. M. (2004). Projections of power: Framing news, public opinion, and US foreign policy. University of Chicago Press.
Fornaciari, F. (2012). Framing the Egyptian revolution: A content analysis of al Jazeera English and the BBC. Journal of Arab and Muslim Media Research, 4(2–3), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1386/jammr.4.2-3.223_1
Goffman, E. (1974). Frame Analysis: An Essay on the Organization of Experience. Harvard University Press.
Higgins, E. T., Bargh, J. A., & Lombardi, W. J. (1985). Nature of priming effects on categorization. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 11(1), 59–69.
Iyengar, S., & Kinder, D. R. (2010). News That Matters: Television and American Opinion. University of Chicago Press.
Krippendorff, K. (2019). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (4th ed.). SAGE Publication.
Lee, S. T., Maslog, C. C., & Kim, H. S. (2006). Asian conflicts and the Iraq war: A comparative framing analysis. International Communication Gazette, 68(5–6), 499–518. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048506068727
McCombs, M. E., & Shaw, D. L. (1972). The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176–187. https://doi.org/10.1086/267990
Neuendorf, K. A. (2017). The Content Analysis Guidebook (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Nygren, G., Glowacki, M., Hök, J., Kiria, I., Orlova, D., & Taradai, D. (2018). Journalism in the Crossfire: Media coverage of the war in Ukraine in 2014. Journalism Studies, 19(7), 1059–1078. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2016.1251332
Qiu, X., Yu, W., Huang, Y., & Yang, J. (2025). Emotional Geopolitics of War: Disparities in Russia–Ukraine War Coverage Between CGTN and VOA. Journalism and Media 2025, Vol. 6, Page 208, 6(4), 208. https://doi.org/10.3390/JOURNALMEDIA6040208
Riffe, D., Lacy, S., Watson, B. R., & Jennette, L. (2024). Analyzing Media Messages: Using Quantitative Content Analysis in Research (5th ed.). Routledge.
Rudakova, A. (2024). News Framing of the Ukrainian-Russian War: A Comparative Analysis of Russian and American News Media [University of Arkansas]. In ScholarWorks. https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/5230
Ryan, M. (2004). Framing the war against terrorism. GAZETTE: The International Journal for Communication Studies, 66(5), 363–382. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016549204045918
Scheufele, D. A. (1999). Framing as a theory of media effects. Journal of Communication, 49(1), 103–122. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1999.tb02784.x
Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science, 185(4157), 1124–1131. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.185.4157.1124
