Media Coverage of the Islamic State and Terrorism around the Globe : Does media coverage on this topic differ nationally, regionally and internationally?

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to examine how different news agencies around the world portray the Islamic State, using the beheading of journalist James Foley as a case study. Whether or not media outlets coverage and portrayal of the Islamic State and terrorism differs depending on region and state.  This to investigate or uncover how cultural heritage and political currents might be influencing news agencies portrayal of the Islamic State and its advances. How do different news agencies depict or picture the same events and the terror organizations advances. By using Norman Faircloug’s model for critical discourse analysis three prominent discourses are found. The conclusion is that political currents and cultural heritage does have an influence in media coverage and portrayal; news agencies belonging to different regions portray this terror organization differently but when condemning the event there is a global standardization.