Media Construction of the Israel-Palestine War and the Killing of Hasan Nasrallah

Abstract

This article explores the social and political effects of the media's construction of the Israel-Palestine War and the 2024 assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. As part of the study, thirty news stories from six different news channels—three domestic and three foreign—that were published between September 28 and October 11, 2024, were examined using Michel Foucault's Discourse Analysis technique. The study has looked at how media outlets portray leaders and war, the language they employ, their ideological stances, and the meaning worlds they construct. The results show that the media portrays Israel as a security guarantor as well as an aggressive and destructive force. Israel's military might has frequently been invoked as a justification in news reports, which has been taken to mean that the war is successful both locally and internationally. In contrast, Nasrallah has been portrayed as a threat in some publications and as a symbol of resistance in others. Media narratives about leaders have a direct impact on political attitudes and societal perceptions. In this regard, the media is notable not only as a channel for information but also as a potent instrument that influences the dynamics of leadership and conflict.