Orientalist Representations of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution in Elite US Newspaper Editorials: A Critical Discourse Analysis

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This study, using critical discourse analysis, attempts to expand upon knowledge of Orientalism in the media, by examining the response of three elite US newspapers, via their editorials, to the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. The study outlines evidence that strongly suggests that the media's representation of Arabs and Muslims, especially since the September 11th attacks, is imbued with the ideology of Orientalism. The study found that the majority of the editorials do express support for the protestors, however, identified through the critical discourse analysis were a number of tempering Orientalist themes. These hemes serve to largely negate support for the revolution and to induce a sense of unease, fear and mistrust surrounding the events. This study argues that while the editorials covering the revolution clearly do not display the kind of overt, aggressive Orientalism observed in previous cases, nonetheless, there exists a kind of subtle, underlying Orientalism that is present throughout.