This study examines how CNN and Al Jazeera English frame the Israel-Palestine conflict on Instagram through qualitative analysis of 38 video posts across three key time periods: October 2023 (initial attacks), October 2024 (one year anniversary), and October 2025 (ceasefire implementation). Using qualitative content analysis, each video was examined as a multimodal unit incorporating visual footage, audio narration, on screen text, and captions. Three thematic categories emerged: attribution of responsibility, visual documentation of suffering, and narrative focus. Findings reveal that while both outlets covered the same events, they constructed systematically different narratives through how responsibility was assigned, how suffering was visually represented, and which events and perspectives were prioritized. Overall, the findings demonstrate that news outlets produce distinct interpretations of the same conflict on social media, shaping how audiences understand responsibility, suffering, and the meaning of events.
Sydney Beyer (Wed,) studied this question.