What the study found
The study found that Western and Middle Eastern news reports represented Al-Assad’s regime collapse differently through language. It also found that material processes, meaning verbs of doing and happening, were the most common process type in the reports.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest that these linguistic choices shaped readers’ perceptions and views of the event. They conclude that the reports reflected ideological stances, including views of the collapse as freedom for Syrians and, in some cases, as the start of crisis and an uncertain future.
What the researchers tested
The researchers used a qualitative-quantitative descriptive design grounded in transitivity analysis and lexical selection within Systemic Functional Linguistics, a framework for studying how language creates meaning. They intentionally selected news reports from Western and Middle Eastern media published during the period of extensive coverage of Al-Assad’s regime collapse.
What worked and what didn't
The analysis showed that reporters used linguistic selections in ways the authors interpret as influential. Material processes were dominant in the coverage, and the authors report that some writers framed the collapse positively while others linked it both to freedom and to crisis and uncertainty.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not provide detailed limitations beyond the focused selection of reports during a specific coverage period. The summary available here is limited to the title and abstract, so no further methodological or interpretive limits are stated.
Key points
- Western and Middle Eastern media used different linguistic representations of Al-Assad’s regime collapse.
- Material processes, or verbs of doing and happening, were the most frequent type in the reports.
- The authors say reporters’ language choices influenced readers’ perceptions and views.
- Some reports framed the collapse as freedom for Syrians, while others also linked it to crisis and uncertainty.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Western and Middle Eastern media differ in framing Al-Assad’s collapse
- Authors:
- Rasim tayeh Jehjooh
- Institutions:
- Imam Alkadhim University College
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-29
- DOI:
- 10.61710/gbvdv248
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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