The Syrian Conflict in the News - (Political Communication and Media Practices in the Middle East and North Africa) by Gabriel Huland (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Syrian conflict constitutes one of the most covered events in this century. Although the coverage of the Syrian uprising and civil war alternated between periods of saturation and silence, it is indisputable that they received an enormous amount of media attention. The Syrian Conflict in the News analyses the coverage of the Syrian conflict in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, focusing on how the three newspapers framed six key events in Syria from March 2011 to April 2018, including the Ghouta chemical attack, the Russian intervention in Syria and US-led airstrikes. Gabriel Huland argues that US foreign policy dominates the frames of the conflict, which suggests that mainstream newspapers are excessively indexed to elite narratives. In the United States, the Syrian crisis prompted an intense debate about the appropriate degree of US involvement in the civil war and how the country should behave in the face of growing Russian and Iranian influence in the Middle East. The overreliance on elite narratives resulted in the underrepresentation of local voices and other players who were in a more advantaged position to devise solutions to the conflict. By analysing the frames of the Syrian uprising and civil war in three mainstream newspapers and the relationship between media and international conflicts, The Syrian Conflict in the News sheds light on crucial aspects of the crisis currently pervading US journalism"--

Book Synopsis

The Syrian conflict constitutes one of the most covered events in this century. Although the coverage of the Syrian uprising and civil war alternated between periods of saturation and silence, it is indisputable that they received an enormous amount of media attention. The Syrian Conflict in the News analyses the coverage of the Syrian conflict in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, focusing on how the three newspapers framed six key events in Syria from March 2011 to April 2018, including the Ghouta chemical attack, the Russian intervention in Syria and US-led airstrikes. Gabriel Huland argues that US foreign policy dominates the frames of the conflict, which suggests that mainstream newspapers are excessively indexed to elite narratives. In the United States, the Syrian crisis prompted an intense debate about the appropriate degree of US involvement in the civil war and how the country should behave in the face of growing Russian and Iranian influence in the Middle East. The overreliance on elite narratives resulted in the underrepresentation of local voices and other players who were in a more advantaged position to devise solutions to the conflict. By analysing the frames of the Syrian uprising and civil war in three mainstream newspapers and the relationship between media and international conflicts, The Syrian Conflict in the News sheds light on crucial aspects of the crisis currently pervading US journalism.

Review Quotes

"This book stands at the junction of media studies and political science, a vast field indeed given how central the media are in modern politics. In addressing the current flaws of journalism in the United States, Huland sheds a special light on a key aspect of what has nowadays become an undisputed truth: the deep crisis of US democracy." --Gilbert Achcar, Professor, SOAS, UK

"The Syrian Conflict in the News offers a compelling critique of how the US media covered the Syrian uprising and civil war. It shows that mainstream newspapers relied primarily on members of the US political establishment to explain the events that occurred in Syria since 2011. By highlighting the importance of citizen journalists in the coverage of the Syrian revolution, the book contributes to the debate about media, conflict, and social movements." --Kholoud Helmi, Author at The Spectator

"The book provides a detailed, professional and well-written empirical examination of how the three most prestigious US mainstream media, the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, covered the Syrian uprising. Straddling media studies and politics, the book offers a critical insight into the media-politics-foreign policy nexus in the US while also unveiling the deep crisis in US democracy today. The book is essential reading for scholars and students of political communication, journalism studies and international relations" --Dina Matar, Professor, SOAS, UK

"Gabriel Huland's "The Syrian Conflict in the News," is a valuable and nuanced book about US media's coverage of the Syrian revolt. It offers an insightful cartography of print media and the ways journalists produces consensus around hegemonic policies. Huland's keen analysis combines theoretical sophistication, methodological precision, and rich empirical research. This refreshing and creative work is a must-read for anyone interested in media studies or Middle East politics." --Yasser Munif, Professor, Emerson College, UK

About the Author

Gabriel Huland is a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Bath, UK. His published articles have appeared in the Journal of Communication and Media Studies. He holds a PhD from SOAS University of London and prior to academia he was a practicing journalist.