The Retreat of The Promotion For Human Rights and Free Speech In The Political Discourse of President Trump: A Comparison with Al-Jazeera’s Rhetoric 2017-2018

Authors

  • Dr. Mazen Al-Fedawi 1PhD on Mass Communication from Banasthali University in Jaipur, Senior Relations Officer at Aljazeera Centre

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15520/sslej.v3i4.2124

Keywords:

hatred; human rights; democracy; defamation; Al-Jazeera Channel; free speech; legal action; rhetoric; President Trump; QCA

Abstract

The aim of this academic article is firstly to survey and assessthe retreat and negligence of human rights and free speech in the American arena with special reference to the speeches, tweets and official statements of the American President Trump; and secondly to compare such discourse to the one produced by Al-Jazeera channel on the same issues, highlighting dynamics and differences between both. In so doing, and by applying the qualitative content analysis (QCA), the article puts forth two different readings for the perceptions of human rights and free speech discourses produced by both sides, and sheds light on the manifestations and implications of both rhetoric.

References

(1) Julie Carriat, Michaela Cabrera. (January 18,2018), ‘HRW says Trump is 'disaster' for human rights, fuels authoritarians’, retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-rights/hrw-says-trump-is-disaster-for-human-rights-fuels-authoritarians-idUSKBN1F7210 (2) Privacy Act of 1974, (updated July 17, 2015),The United States Department of Justice.retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacy-act-1974 (3) Amnesty International, (2017), retrieved fromhttps://www.amnestyusa.org/trump100days/ (4) Amnesty Internatioanl, (2017), Torture, Guantánamo, and Justice for the 9/11 Attacks, retrieved from https://www.amnestyusa.org/trump100days/ (5) Alex Lockie. (2017, November 13). Trump makes friends by putting America first and ignoring human rights in Asia. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-america-first-ignoring-human-rights-in-asia-2017-11 (6) Amnesty Internatioanl, (2017), Free Speech and Expression, retrieved from https://www.amnestyusa.org/trump100days/ (7) Rachel Wolfe. (2018, January 17). Jeff Flake Just compared Trump’s treatment of the press to Stalin’s. Vox. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/17/16901130/jeff-flake-senate-speech-fake-news-trump-stalin (8) Brian Tashman (2017, October 13). Donald Trump Thinks the Freedom of the Press Is ‘Disgusting’. ACLU. Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/freedom-press/donald-trump-thinks-freedom-press-disgusting (9) Jenna Johnson (2017, September 29). A Brief History of Donald Trump’s Mixed messages on freedom of speech. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-brief-history-of-donald-trumps-mixed-messages-on-freedom-of-speech/2017/09/28/dd44160c-a3b6-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html?utm_term=.37ccd3c339f7 (10) Hadas Gold (2016, February 26). Donald Trump: We're going to 'open up' libel laws. POLITICO. Retrieved from https://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/02/donald-trump-libel-laws-219866 (11) Al-Fedawi, Mazen (2017). Human Rights as a Message in the Context of Media Discourse. Unpublished PhD thesis. Banasthali University: Jaipur, India. (12) Rights groups condemn demand to shut Al Jazeera (2017, June 23). Aljazeera.com. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/media-watchdog-slams-demand-shut-al-jazeera-170623111049529.html (13) Seib,Philip. Al Jazeera English: Global News in a Changing World. Palgrave Macmillan. 2012.ISBN 978-02-303-4021-3. Print.

References

(1) Julie Carriat, Michaela Cabrera. (January 18,2018), ‘HRW says Trump is 'disaster' for human rights, fuels authoritarians’, retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-rights/hrw-says-trump-is-disaster-for-human-rights-fuels-authoritarians-idUSKBN1F7210

(2) Privacy Act of 1974, (updated July 17, 2015),The United States Department of Justice.retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacy-act-1974

(3) Amnesty International, (2017), retrieved fromhttps://www.amnestyusa.org/trump100days/

(4) Amnesty Internatioanl, (2017), Torture, Guantánamo, and Justice for the 9/11 Attacks, retrieved from
https://www.amnestyusa.org/trump100days/

(5) Alex Lockie. (2017, November 13). Trump makes friends by putting America first and ignoring human rights in Asia. Business Insider. Retrieved from
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-america-first-ignoring-human-rights-in-asia-2017-11

(6) Amnesty Internatioanl, (2017), Free Speech and Expression, retrieved from https://www.amnestyusa.org/trump100days/

(7) Rachel Wolfe. (2018, January 17). Jeff Flake Just compared Trump’s treatment of the press to Stalin’s. Vox. Retrieved from
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/17/16901130/jeff-flake-senate-speech-fake-news-trump-stalin
(8) Brian Tashman (2017, October 13). Donald Trump Thinks the Freedom of the Press Is ‘Disgusting’. ACLU. Retrieved from
https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/freedom-press/donald-trump-thinks-freedom-press-disgusting
(9) Jenna Johnson (2017, September 29). A Brief History of Donald Trump’s Mixed messages on freedom of speech. The Washington Post. Retrieved from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-brief-history-of-donald-trumps-mixed-messages-on-freedom-of-speech/2017/09/28/dd44160c-a3b6-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html?utm_term=.37ccd3c339f7

(10) Hadas Gold (2016, February 26). Donald Trump: We're going to 'open up' libel laws. POLITICO. Retrieved from
https://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/02/donald-trump-libel-laws-219866

(11) Al-Fedawi, Mazen (2017). Human Rights as a Message in the Context of Media Discourse. Unpublished PhD thesis. Banasthali University: Jaipur, India.

(12) Rights groups condemn demand to shut Al Jazeera (2017, June 23). Aljazeera.com. Retrieved from
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/media-watchdog-slams-demand-shut-al-jazeera-170623111049529.html

(13) Seib,Philip. Al Jazeera English: Global News in a Changing World. Palgrave Macmillan. 2012.ISBN 978-02-303-4021-3. Print.

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Published

2018-04-26

How to Cite

(1)
Al-Fedawi, D. M. The Retreat of The Promotion For Human Rights and Free Speech In The Political Discourse of President Trump: A Comparison With Al-Jazeera’s Rhetoric 2017-2018. sslej 2018, 3, 38-43.

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Articles