Open Strike of Public-School Teachers during the 2022–23 Academic Year Coverage: An Analytical Study of Al-Akhbar Online Newspaper
Abstract
This study aims to examine the journalistic framing of the open strike of public-school teachers in Lebanon, taking the online Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar and its coverage of the strike during the 2022–2023 academic year as a case study. Existing studies primarily focused on media coverage of crises, with most addressing political, economic, and social crises, while comparatively little attention is given to educational crises. Moreover, only a limited number of studies have explored the coverage of online platforms affiliated with national newspapers, particularly those that highlight dominant news frames. Addressing these gaps, this study contributes by shedding light on the media representation of an educational crisis in Lebanon. This study analyzes a sample of journalistic materials published on the Al-Akhbar’s website during the period of the strike in the 2022–23 academic year, to identify the newspaper’s discourse on the strike. By adopting a quantitative research strategy, the study employs content analysis as its methodological tool. The results show that Al-Akhbar’s online coverage of the open strike of public-school teachers was extensive, aligned with teachers and their demands, and characterized by an escalatory and critical tone toward the authorities and donor institutions. Thus, its coverage illustrates the media's role as an active participant in shaping events, rather than merely reporting them.
Keywords: Al-Akhbar newspaper, public schools teachers strike, framing, content analysis, media’s role.
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