Xinjiang: a critical discourse analysis of western media narratives concerning the Region & the Uyghur People (2017-2022)

Dissertação de mestrado apresentada à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Jornalismo. ; This analysis seeks to examine the journalistic narrative weaved by media outlets like The Washington Post and The New York Times that focuses on the ethnic concerns surrounding the Chinese Government against the Uyghur people, native to the region of Xinjiang. There seems to be a strong bias in the Western media coverage of this subject, which appears to align itself with western state interests. Examples of this can be equally found in articles made by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Cable News Network (CNN), and the similar sources they cite (Sun, 2019). An attempt will be made to draw a parallel between this western narrative and U.S. geopolitical interests policies, and how often they align. There appear to be some similarities with the grave accusations on China’s de-radicalisation strategy in the region and the accusations towards Iraq and their alleged Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The idea that the latter was a narrative pushed by the U.S. media to manufacture consent towards war in the Middle East has been thoroughly examined and confirmed by other investigators (Chomsky & Herman, 2011). Today, the focus has now shifted towards China as the U.S. fears to lose its own influence on Asia (Pilger, 2020). The Belt and Road Initiative, a sort of modernisation of the Silk Road, would greatly increase China’s sphere of influence (Zhou, 2019), of which Xinjiang is an important node for international connection. But much like the controversial Nord Stream 2 Pipeline linking Russia to Europe, they are apparent threats to the U. S. hegemony. The effects of Western media narratives over Iraq’s alleged WMD resulted in the destruction of homes and the death of innocents at the hands of the United States and its allies. By manufacturing consent, war was seen as enticing, virtuous even (Jaffer, 2021). The danger of similar media narratives in ...