The Geopolitics of Narrative Inequality: A Transitivity Analysis of Media Discourse on the Gaza War and Its Implications for SDG 10

Alman Naufal, Tri Indri Hardini, Neidya Fahma Sunendar

Abstract


Media discourse crucially shapes global perception, reflecting geopolitical dynamics and representational inequalities beyond mere economic terms. However, SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) currently fails to address these discursive disparities. To bridge this conceptual gap, this study aims to uncover how representational inequalities are linguistically engineered in conflict reporting and articulate the urgency of integrating critical literacy into the SDG 10 framework. Applying transitivity analysis to a 15,791-word corpus (20 articles) from French (France 24) and Arabic (Al Jazeera) media, the study reveals systematically divergent framing. Findings demonstrate that Francophone media adopts a diplomatically sanitized lexicon, over-utilizing Verbal processes to distance audiences from the reality of violence. On the other hand, Arabosphere media actively challenges structural violence and demands accountability through explicit Material processes. Consequently, determining who is framed as the "Actor" or "Goal" in Gaza is crucial, as micro-level grammatical choices can obscure or justify severe physical destruction. These stark discursive differences underscore an urgent need for a new SDG 10 target focused on literacy equality and fact verification, which is vital to ensure equitable discursive opportunities and dismantle global hegemony.

Keywords


Discursive inequality; Epistemic injustice; Geolinguistics; Media hegemony; Transitivity analysis

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/alsuniyat.v9i2.105628

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