Background and problem Mainstream media and communication theories have largely failed to account for the distinctive dynamics of journalism under prolonged military occupation. In the Palestinian context, a central paradox emerges: public reliance on journalism intensifies during times of conflict, yet media institutions become increasingly vulnerable, and journalists face escalating physical danger and institutional fragility. Aims This study investigates this paradox by examining the structural constraints, securitization processes, and forms of resistance that characterize Palestinian journalism. It develops the concept of Asymmetric and Securitized Media Dependency as an analytical framework for understanding media–power relations in non-sovereign and conflict-affected settings. Methods The study employs a qualitative research design combining document analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The dataset comprises 32 purposively selected documents produced between October 2023 and March 2025, including institutional reports from press freedom organizations (RSF, CPJ, HRW, OHCHR), official regulatory documents, and professional statements from journalists’ unions and media organizations. Analysis followed a three-stage CDA procedure: lexical and thematic identification, discursive function analysis, and subject positioning analysis. Limitations As a document-based study, this research does not capture first-hand lived experiences of journalists. Institutional sources may reflect organizational biases. However, data triangulation across multiple source types mitigates these limitations. Results The analysis yields four interrelated themes: (1) multi-layered structural constraints combining external military control and internal political regulation; (2) systematic securitization of journalistic labor through security discourses legitimizing censorship, surveillance, and violence; (3) epistemic resistance expressed through counter-framing, civilian-centered reporting, and digital documentation; and (4) the ambivalent role of digital media as both a site of empowerment and algorithmic control. Conclusions The Palestinian case challenges classical media theories by demonstrating that heightened public dependency on journalism correlates with increased institutional vulnerability rather than power. The concept of Asymmetric and Securitized Media Dependency captures this paradox and offers a context-sensitive framework applicable to other non-sovereign, colonized, or conflict-affected settings. The study underscores the necessity of rethinking media theory beyond assumptions of sovereignty and institutional stability.

Media politics in Palestine and journalism between colonial control, structural constraints, and resistance

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2026年6月20日

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Issam Iyrot

摘要

Background and problem

Mainstream media and communication theories have largely failed to account for the distinctive dynamics of journalism under prolonged military occupation. In the Palestinian context, a central paradox emerges: public reliance on journalism intensifies during times of conflict, yet media institutions become increasingly vulnerable, and journalists face escalating physical danger and institutional fragility.

Aims

This study investigates this paradox by examining the structural constraints, securitization processes, and forms of resistance that characterize Palestinian journalism. It develops the concept of Asymmetric and Securitized Media Dependency as an analytical framework for understanding media–power relations in non-sovereign and conflict-affected settings.

Methods

The study employs a qualitative research design combining document analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The dataset comprises 32 purposively selected documents produced between October 2023 and March 2025, including institutional reports from press freedom organizations (RSF, CPJ, HRW, OHCHR), official regulatory documents, and professional statements from journalists’ unions and media organizations. Analysis followed a three-stage CDA procedure: lexical and thematic identification, discursive function analysis, and subject positioning analysis.

Limitations

As a document-based study, this research does not capture first-hand lived experiences of journalists. Institutional sources may reflect organizational biases. However, data triangulation across multiple source types mitigates these limitations.

Results

The analysis yields four interrelated themes: (1) multi-layered structural constraints combining external military control and internal political regulation; (2) systematic securitization of journalistic labor through security discourses legitimizing censorship, surveillance, and violence; (3) epistemic resistance expressed through counter-framing, civilian-centered reporting, and digital documentation; and (4) the ambivalent role of digital media as both a site of empowerment and algorithmic control.

Conclusions

The Palestinian case challenges classical media theories by demonstrating that heightened public dependency on journalism correlates with increased institutional vulnerability rather than power. The concept of Asymmetric and Securitized Media Dependency captures this paradox and offers a context-sensitive framework applicable to other non-sovereign, colonized, or conflict-affected settings. The study underscores the necessity of rethinking media theory beyond assumptions of sovereignty and institutional stability.