Reinventing Stereotypes: An Exploration of Digital Orientalism in Western Media Representation of the Middle East.
Keywords:
Digital Orientalism, Orientalism, Reductionist assumptions, Western digital hegemony, Cultural fetishism, Strategic essentialism, Epistemic mechanism.Abstract
This research study critically examines the subjective attitude of Western digital media towards the Middle East, portraying it ‘exotic’ and ‘technologically low-born’ region. Digital orientalism, choreographed by the Western digital elites, pontificate on the malicious stereotypes and generalization to denigrate the foreign cultures, especially that of the Middle East. The ‘polemical orientalism’, a key facet of digital orientalist cyberspace, is riddled with aggressive rhetoric, criticizing and demeaning the Eastern culture and societies. This study has technically employed the method of critical discourse analysis to skillfully analyze online news, articles, and social media posts disseminated by the leading Western media conglomerates. The central objective of this research study is to thoroughly identify and demystify the prevailing stereotypes and the biased representational framework denigrating the Middle East, examining how digital orientalism gives a substantial impetus to cultural hegemony and the prevailing power dynamics. This research study’s finding uncover the disruptive and polemical stereotypes and narratives in Western media, highlighting a need of refined understanding of the equitable and inclusive portrayal of the Middle East region to nurture diversity and strengthen cross-cultural understanding.