Peace and violence in the framing of the 2019 Algerian Hirak by Al-Jazeera English, the BBC and France 24: a critical discourse analysis

The current study aims primarily to analyse the discourses presented by news websites—Al-Jazeera English (AJE), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and France 24 (F24)—in relation to their coverage of the 2019 Algerian Hirak (2019 AH). Specifically, it seeks to uncover both commonalities and disparities in how these selected news outlets depicted key events of the 2019 AH. The pivotal events under examination include the emergence of the 2019 AH on 22nd February 2019 as a response to a fifth term bid by 82-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who had serious health issues, Bouteflika's resignation on 2nd April, the first live prosecution of business magnates and government officials from Bouteflika’s political regime on 9th December. Moreover, the study aims to identify potential underlying ideologies that influenced the news outlets' portrayal of these events. An additional aspect explored by the study is the degree to which these three news outlets adhered to a peace journalistic perspective while reporting on the 2019 AH.

To achieve these aims, the study adopts critical discourse studies (CDS) and peace/war journalism (P/WJ) as its overarching theoretical framework. It adheres to Fairclough's dialectical-relational approach (DRA) (1995A; 2003; 2010; 2016) and Reisigl and Wodak's discourse historical approach (DHA) (2001b; 2009; 2016). Interestingly, the study proposes theoretical refinements to Galtung's P/WJ model (2006) to ensure its relevance within the context of the 2019 AH. For a detailed linguistic analysis of the representation of the 2019 AH’s actors and actions, the study draws upon KhosraviNik's textual analytical framework, primarily the concepts of social actor and social action (2010a). In examining the “social actor” dimension, the study delves into the utilisation of Reisigl and Wodak's concept of nomination, while also employing Van Leeuwen's Social Actor Model to facilitate a detailed and systematic analysis. Regarding the “social action” aspect, the study investigates Reisigl and Wodak's predication, placing particular emphasis on Halliday's system of Transitivity (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004). Crucially, the study establishes a conceptual linkage between the adapted P/WJ model and CDS, employing this model as an interpretative framework for its findings.

While all three news outlets concur that the 2019 AH's inception was rooted in a legitimate movement against Bouteflika's pursuit of a fifth term, the analysis reveals noteworthy disparities between AJE, on one hand, and the BBC and F24, on the other, in their portrayal of these events. AJE's perspective appears to align more closely with the principles of PJ, potentially reflecting pro-democratic inclinations. This is manifested in a positive depiction of the Algerian protesters as in control of their movement. In contrast, the stances of the BBC and F24 seem to be closer to WJ, potentially stemming from orientalist perspectives. These stances are predominantly characterised by dehumanising and victimising the protesters.