The narratives of Charlie Hebdo’s attack. A cross-national study of the news coverage

  • Pablo Gómez-Domínguez Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
  • Gabriel Candelaria Rivera Universidad de de Puerto Rico.
  • Oliver Pérez Latorre Universitat Pompeu Fabra
  • Lorena Gómez-Puertas Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/ESMP.55605
Keywords: Charlie Hebdo, semiotics, content analysis, France, Algeria.

Abstract

This study proposes an analysis of the front pages in the coverage of the attack on Charlie Hebdo in major newspapers in France, USA, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Algeria. We applied a mixed methodology that combines quantitative/qualitative content analysis, semiotic analysis and frame-inductive analysis. The results show significant differences between countries in terms of formal coverage, presence and distribution of text and image. In addition, we found two great narrative programs. The Algerian, claiming the innocence of the Muslim community and blames Western and Arab political leaders. And the French, with a program alluding to social empowerment and government support to defend freedom of speech. As the general conclusion, the widely shared story was the French’s Western-imposed over the Algerian-Arabic narrative.

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How to Cite
Gómez-Domínguez P., Candelaria Rivera G., Pérez Latorre O. y Gómez-Puertas L. (2017). The narratives of Charlie Hebdo’s attack. A cross-national study of the news coverage. Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 23(1), 417-436. https://doi.org/10.5209/ESMP.55605
Issue
Vol. 23 No. 1 (2017)
Section
Research and Documents

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