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This study examines how UK and Irish media coverage of the Rafah offensive influences perceptions of power and agency through their narratives.

June 7, 2026Open Access

Framing conflict, shaping memory: Power and narrative in UK and Irish coverage of Rafah

Key Points

This study examines how UK and Irish media coverage of the Rafah offensive influences perceptions of power and agency through their narratives.
Conducted a critical discourse analysis of 300 articles from UK (BBC, Sky News) and Irish (RTÉ, The Journal) media outlets.
Analyzed differences in language use, source representation, and framing techniques in reporting on Palestinian casualties.
UK media used passive voice for Palestinian casualties and minimized Palestinian sourcing.
Irish media highlighted Israeli agency 86-91% of the time and balanced source representation.
Framing in Ireland correlated with government support for the ICJ genocide case and recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Abstract

National media coverage of conflicts is powerfully shaped by context and historical memory, yet the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. This study conducts a critical discourse analysis of 300 articles from UK (BBC, Sky News) and Irish (RTÉ, The Journal) outlets covering Israel's 2024 Rafah offensive. Systematic contrasts emerge: UK outlets predominantly used passive voice for Palestinian casualties and foregrounded Israeli agency, with minimal Palestinian sourcing. Irish media, in contrast, attributed agency to Israeli actions 86-91% of the time, balanced source-representation, and frequently deployed explicit moral terminology. Notably, media framing in Ireland temporally aligned with government support for the ICJ genocide case and Palestinian statehood recognition. These findings suggest that national historical memory actively shapes conflict discourse and legitimizes divergent policy strategies.

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