Beyond the stadium: a Qualitative Textual Analysis of Hespress and Echorouk coverage of the USM Alger – RS Berkane match

In light of the current Moroccan-Algerian rivalry, this study looks at how two prominent media outlets, Hespress and Echorouk, covered the USMA-RSB football game. It looks at how the event is framed by both media, changing it from a simple athletic contest to a representation of political conflict and national pride. According to the analysis, Echorouk utilizes stronger language to emphasize Algeria’s resistance and independence, whereas Hespress uses more measured and neutral language to depict Morocco’s sovereignty and victimization. Both mediums use selective framing to magnify themes of victimization, sovereignty, and national identity, using the football game as a stand-in for larger political conflicts. This study illustrates how media framing can escalate political tensions, showing that sports events often serve as arenas for advancing national agendas and reinforcing geopolitical narratives. The findings contribute to understanding the role of media in shaping political conflict through sports.