Over the past two years, the civil war in Syria has been one of the major topics in Western media. It began in 2011 with demonstrations against the Assad regime. It is estimated by the United Nations that over 100,000 have died and millions have been displaced since then (Tomasevic, 2013). One of the major focuses set by the media is on Bashar al-Assad, the current President of Syria, who is called upon by many in- and outside the country to resign (Wilkinson & Smith-Spark, 2013). In the early terms of his Presidency, Assad symbolized a sign of hope for a more modern and democratic Syria – a significant factor was his wife, born and educated in Great Britain, who spoke out publicly for human rights and peace. The two were represented as a glamorous and westernized couple by the press throughout the years. This perception abruptly changed with the uprisings in Syria which have begun in March 2011 (Goodspeed, 2012). However, Bashar al-Assad’s wife, Asma, is still portrayed as a caring First Lady by social media such as instagram and facebook used by the Assad Regime (Dewey, 2013). As a result of her presentation as a liberal and peace-aiming figure in the past, many, in particular women, still hope that the country’s First Lady will stand up against violence, however, she remains silent until this point (“UN ambassador wives”, 2012).
One wonders, how such a positive and one-sided depiction of Asma al-Assad in the Western media was achieved in the first place? Who was holding the reins for this? And why were the journalists more absorbed by her outward appearance than by the fact that she is the wife of a dictator? These are questions this paper examines. Therefore, I studied Western media, in particular fashion magazines, tabloids but also well-respected newspapers such as the Guardian or the Washington Post in order to give my reader a varied overview of the way Asma al-Assad was represented in different tubes of the Western press. The answers serve to consider what the contrasting portrayal of Asma al-Assad can reveal in general about the accuracy and the function of the media in the West, being influenced both by propaganda and the interests of the Western readership. This is why I laid my focus on the portrayal of Asma al-Assad in the Western media, comparing her depiction before and after the outbreak of the civil war in Syria. I have structured this paper into two parts to demonstrate the disparity of her representation in the media in this context.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The media portrayal of Asma al-Assad
2.1 Before the outbreak of civil war in Syria
2.2 After the outbreak of civil war in Syria
3. Conclusion
4. REFERENCES
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines the radical shift in the media portrayal of Asma al-Assad, the First Lady of Syria, comparing her representation in Western media before and after the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011 to identify the underlying drivers of this transformation.
- The evolution of Asma al-Assad's public image from "modern reformer" to a controversial figure.
- The influence of Western media bias and the pursuit of simplified narratives.
- The role of the Assad regime's propaganda machinery and social media usage.
- The superficiality of Western media coverage regarding complex political conflicts.
- The impact of celebrity culture and fashion-focused reporting on geopolitical analysis.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Before the outbreak of civil war in Syria
“Champion of women’s rights” (Fantz, 2012), “Syria’s Princess Diana” (Bennet, 2005), “A rose in the desert” (Fisher, 2011).
This is only a small choice of the flattering names the Western press entitled Asma Al-Assad with in recent years. Being born as Asma Akhras to a Syrian family living in England, the young Asma was shaped by the lifestyle of the West. Despite her Muslim faith, she visited a local Church of England school. Then, after attending King’s College in London, she worked with huge success as an analyst for JP Morgan and the Deutsche Bank (“Road to Damascus”, 2001). Therefore, one could say that she followed the career of the ‘ideal’ western woman.
Her background story was one of the reasons why she was portrayed in the media as a “progressive face” when she moved to Syria in 2000, marrying Bashar al-Assad, who had just become the President of Syria six months earlier (Goodspeed, 2012). Following this, her public presence has grown significantly as she was seen regularly on state duties with her husband. Soon she gained the status of a Western-styled fashion icon. Photographs of her could usually be found in fashion magazines, often being compared to Queen Rania of Jordan, who is also seen as an example of a modern woman in the Arab World. Occasionally her elegant performance even outweighed political issues, giving her husband a spark of her glamor. For example, the New York Times described the couple in 2005 as “the essence of secular Western-Arab fusion” (Fantz, 2012).
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the research scope, the transition from a positive Western perception of the First Lady to a negative one, and establishes the research focus on media representation during the Syrian conflict.
2. The media portrayal of Asma al-Assad: Analyzes the dualistic framing of Asma al-Assad, contrasting her pre-war image as a Western-educated, modern "First Lady" with her post-war characterization as a controversial and complicit figure.
3. Conclusion: Synthesizes findings, highlighting the bias, superficiality, and reliance on black-and-white narratives within Western media when covering political crises.
4. REFERENCES: Provides a comprehensive list of the electronic sources, media articles, and academic reports utilized throughout the analysis.
Keywords
Asma al-Assad, Western Media, Syrian Civil War, Media Portrayal, Propaganda, Bashar al-Assad, Journalism, Public Relations, First Lady, Social Media, Representation, Political Conflict, Modernity, Hypocrisy, Fashion Magazines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research analyzes the transformation of Asma al-Assad's media image in Western outlets, tracing how her representation changed from a positive, modern figure to a negative one following the start of the Syrian civil war.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
Central themes include the role of state propaganda, the influence of Western media bias, the construction of political identities, and how media prioritize entertainment and fashion over complex socio-political realities.
What is the main research question or objective?
The objective is to understand how and why the Western media's depiction of Asma al-Assad inverted so abruptly, and what this says about the function and ethics of media coverage in the West.
Which research methods were employed?
The author conducted a comparative analysis of various Western media sources, including respected newspapers, fashion magazines, and tabloids, covering two distinct time periods: pre-2011 and post-2011.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section investigates the media's early "glamorization" of the Assads as secular reformers and contrasts this with the subsequent shift to labeling Asma al-Assad as a "First Lady from hell" once the conflict escalated.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include media portrayal, Syrian civil war, Asma al-Assad, propaganda, Western media bias, and political representation.
How did social media influence the portrayal of Asma al-Assad?
The paper discusses how the Assad regime effectively used platforms like Instagram and Facebook to construct a parallel, idealized reality, attempting to rehabilitate the First Lady's image while ignoring the realities of the war.
What role did PR firms play in her media image?
The study notes that the Assad regime actively engaged Western PR firms, such as Brown Lloyd James, to carefully curate a "reformer's aura" around Asma al-Assad to appeal to Western sensibilities.
- Quote paper
- Inga von der Stein (Author), 2013, The changing portrayal of Asma al-Assad in the western media, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/264962
