Revolution or crisis? Framing the 2011 Tahrir Square protests in two pan-Arab satellite news networks

This study used framing analysis to unpack framing devices employed by Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya in their reporting of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Three key days of the uprising, representing a range of political events, were analysed. Results suggest that Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya presented very different versions of the revolution. Al-Jazeera’s coverage, which was dominated by a ‘revolution’ frame, was overwhelmingly sympathetic to the protesters and antagonistic to ousted President Hosni Mubarak, while Al-Arabiya’s coverage, which was dominated by a ‘crisis’ frame, was generally much more sympathetic to the Mubarak regime and critical of the anti-government protesters. Al-Jazeera’s reportage did not attempt to provide voice to the Mubarak government or its supporters, while Al-Arabiya’s reportage did offer a platform for some anti-Mubarak voices.