“Genocidal Intent:” News Media Outlets and Coverage Using the Term “Genocide” During the Israeli-Hamas War in Palestine

With investigations into whether Israel’s actions against Palestinians meet the legal definition of genocide ongoing, mainstream Western news media have avoided using the term independently. Drawing on literature about the news hierarchy of influences, journalistic language, and news framing, this study examines how the term "genocide" was used in coverage of the war. Using a three-round qualitative content analysis, this research uses both open and axial coding methods to identify key frames and themes in journalistic coverage. These findings indicate that while mainstream U.S. news outlets do not independently label Israel’s actions as a genocide, many journalists construct a nuanced view of the term and arguments for elements of genocide in their coverage. This is accomplished through three key pathways: recognition, political outcomes, and the framing of genocide in presentation. Across coverage, journalists repeatedly rely on institutional sourcing, like states and experts, over the perspectives of the Palestinians or those otherwise enduring the effects of the war themselves.