A Multimodal Analysis of BBC Reports on the Israel-Gaza War
Abstract
This study suggests that multimodal discourse analysis is a valuable method for examining portrait-based BBC news reports. However, there is insufficient exploration of how portraits are structured and function alongside their accompanying texts, particularly in shaping portrayals of refugees. To address this, the research employs a qualitative approach, conducting a multimodal analysis of the BBC’s image-based coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict that began on October 7, 2023. The analysis integrates both visual and textual perspectives to investigate the depiction of displaced Palestinians. The visual component applies Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006) visual design grammar framework, emphasizing interactional and compositional elements. The textual analysis, meanwhile, utilizes Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2004) transitivity framework. Findings from the visual analysis highlight how visual elements are used to positively frame displaced Palestinian Gazans, fostering global empathy and support. As well as the findings of the textual analysis show a prevalence of material processes, underscoring the media’s role in emphasizing the realities faced by Palestinians in Gaza to garner sympathy and assistance, as evidenced in BBC reports.