“Localisation” and the “Arab Spring”

323 Pages·2017·4.78 MB·English

“Localisation” and the “Arab Spring”:
A Critical Discourse Analysis of
Translation-Mediated Arabic News Articles on the
Unrest in the Arabic-Speaking World
(The Case of Robert Fisk and Al Jazeera)

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND
POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF
PhD IN TRANSLATION STUDIES

By:
Samir Khidir
School of Translation and Interpretation (STI), Faculty of Arts
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario

Supervised by:
Professor Luise von Flotow

2017
© Samir Khidir, Ottawa, Canada, 2017
“Pity the nation divided into fragments,
each fragment deeming itself a nation.”
Khalil Gibran - The Garden of the Prophet (1931)

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ABSTRACT
This study is a critical analysis of translation-mediated Arabic news items on the “Arab
Spring”. It explores the influence of social, historical, political, localic, and socio-ideological
aspects of news translation via certain media agendas, by applying Critical Discourse Analysis
(CDA) and qualitative descriptive methods in the analysis of the localised news items, interviews
with translators, and a corpus of comments by the Arabic-speaking readership. The data analysed
in this case study comprise a four-year (2010-2014) collection of news items that were localised
by Al Jazeera and published on its website, as well as readers’ commentaries on said
localisations, and interviews with two of Al Jazeera’s translators. Making use of this rich source
of data, this study aims at finding answers for the questions: Are there discernible patterns in the
translated texts? If so, how and for what purpose are they produced and re-produced through
localisation in Al Jazeera’s translation-mediated Arabic news articles? Whose interests are
served and whose interests are annulled by the reproduction and localisation processes? The
three sets of data were thematically coded; then their most salient points and arguments were
analysed. The localised news items were examined for clues to the localisation techniques,
ideologies, and the agenda(s) of Al Jazeera. The readers’ comments were probed for the
influence that the localised news items had on Al Jazeera’s target readership, and were examined
to find out which of Al Jazeera’s ideologies resonate with which readers to form Al Jazeera’s
target locale(s). The analysis of the interviews with Al Jazeera’s translators was undertaken with
the aim of delineating the tasks of these translators, specifically to see to what extent journalism
and translation meld, as suggested in much of the research done so far on translating news items.
The tripartite analysis has provided a more comprehensive understanding of the processes
involved in the production of translation-mediated news items as well as their effect on the
readership. It also suggests relatively new insights into viewing the term localisation as a good
alternative to acculturation in accounting for news translation. Within the umbrella of the social
turn in translation studies (TS), this study suggests that current approaches to studying news
translation question large-scale concepts such as culture and acculturation, and proposes they be
replaced with the small-scale concepts of locale and localisation. Hence, this study suggests
using localisation to extract and understand the underlying particulars of the processes involved
in producing translation-mediated news items. The results of the analysis show that Al Jazeera
ostensibly promulgates three major ideologies: anti-regimism, Islamistism, and pan-Arabism and
embeds these ideologies in the messages it delivers to its target locales through the localised
news items. The study concludes that Al Jazeera’s localisation techniques reflect the viewpoints
of its benefactor the State of Qatar whose goal is to create a solipsistic identity that distinguishes
it from its immediate rivalling neighbours within a dichotomy of the Same and the Other. These
localisation techniques are driven by motives associated with the sociopolitical and
sociohistorical circumstances of the founding of the State of Qatar and Al Jazeera.
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Keywords: Localisation, locale, translation-mediated news items, acculturation, Descriptive Translation Studies,
critical discourse analysis, netnography, media agenda, mainstreamism, Islamistism, pan-Arabism.
RÉSUMÉ
La présente étude est une analyse critique de traductions d’articles de nouvelles arabes à propos
du « Printemps arabe ». Elle explore l’influence de facteurs sociaux, historiques, politiques, de
localisation et socio-idéologiques sur la traduction des nouvelles, en fonction des objectifs des médias, en
se servant de l’analyse critique du discours (ACD) et des méthodes qualitatives et descriptives pour
étudier des articles de nouvelles localisés, des entrevues avec des traducteurs et un corpus de
commentaires du lectorat arabophone. Les données utilisées incluent une banque d’articles (publiés entre
2010 et 2014) localisés par Al Jazeera et publiés sur son site web, ainsi que les commentaires des lecteurs
sur les localisations en question et des entrevues avec deux des traducteurs d’Al Jazeera. Au moyen de ce
vaste ensemble de données, la présente étude vise à déterminer : s’il y a des tendances notables dans les
textes traduits; si c’est le cas, comment et pourquoi sont-elles répétées dans tant d’articles arabes traduits
et localisés par Al Jazeera; et, finalement, de qui le processus de reproduction et de localisation sert-il les
intérêts, et à qui est-il nuisible? Les trois ensembles de données ont été triés par thème, puis leurs
arguments et aspects les plus frappants ont été analysés. Les articles de nouvelles localisés ont été étudiés
afin de découvrir les techniques de localisation, les penchants idéologiques et les objectifs d’Al Jazeera.
Les commentaires des lecteurs ont été dépouillés afin de déterminer l’influence des articles localisés sur
les lecteurs-cibles d’Al Jazeera, ce qui nous permet d’identifier le ou les environnement(s) local(aux)
visé(s). L’analyse des entrevues avec les traducteurs d’Al Jazeera a été entreprise afin de délimiter leurs
tâches, dans le but spécifique de découvrir jusqu’à quel point le journalisme et la traduction
s’entremêlent, comme le suggère la majeure partie de la recherche actuelle sur la traduction des articles de
nouvelles. Cette analyse en trois parties permet une compréhension plus complète des processus
impliqués dans la production de traductions d’articles de nouvelles, ainsi que de leurs effets sur les
lecteurs. Elle offre également des pistes relativement nouvelles en ce qui a trait à envisager le terme
localisation comme solution viable afin de remplacer celui d’acculturation dans le contexte de la
traduction des nouvelles. S’insérant dans le cadre du tournant social en traductologie, la présente étude
suggère que les approches actuelles relatives à la traduction des nouvelles remettent en question la
validité de concepts englobants comme la culture et l’acculturation, et propose de remplacer ceux-ci par
des concepts plus restreints comme l’environnement local et la localisation. C’est pourquoi la présente
étude avance l’idée d’utiliser la localisation pour trouver et comprendre les aspects importants des
processus impliqués dans la production de traductions d’articles de nouvelles. Les résultats de l’analyse
démontrent qu’Al Jazeera semble faire la promotion de trois idéologies principales (l’anti-régimisme,
l’islamistisme et le panarabisme) qui sont insérées dans les messages transmis à ses environnements
locaux cibles par le truchement des articles de nouvelles localisés. Ces observations nous permettent de
conclure que les techniques de localisation d’Al Jazeera reflètent le point de vue de son bienfaiteur, l’État
du Qatar, qui a pour objectif de se créer une identité solipsiste lui permettant de se distinguer de ses
rivaux dans son voisinage immédiat à l’aide d’une dichotomie entre le Soi et l’Autre. Ces techniques de
localisation sont motivées par les circonstances sociopolitiques et sociohistoriques entourant la fondation
de l’État du Qatar et d’Al Jazeera.

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Mots-clés: localisation, environnement local, articles de nouvelles traduits, acculturation, traductologie
descriptive, analyse critique du discours, netnographie, objectifs des médias, mainstreamisme, islamistisme,
panarabisme.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. iii
RÉSUMÉ ...................................................................................................................................... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. v
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................................... viii
LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES AND CHARTS ........................................................................ ix
LIST OF MAPS AND IMAGES .................................................................................................. x
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER ONE ....................................................................................................................... - 1 -
INTRODUCTION, THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND OTHER PRELIMINARIES
1.1 Rationale and Purpose .................................................................................................... - 8 -
1.2 Theoretical Framework .................................................................................................. - 9 -
1.2.1 Contextual and Extra-Contextual Norms ............................................................ - 10 -
1.3 Researcher’s Positionality ............................................................................................ - 19 -
1.4 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... - 26 -
1.5 The Studied Event: The Arab Spring ......................................................................... - 27 -
1.5.2 How Did the Arab Spring Begin? ......................................................................... - 32 -
1.6 The “Arab Spring” Expression: .................................................................................. - 34 -
CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................................... - 38 -
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Labels and Processes..................................................................................................... - 39 -
2.2 Text-based Research ..................................................................................................... - 41 -
2.3 Intertwined Processes ................................................................................................... - 43 -
2.4 Patrons/Clients and Power-relations........................................................................... - 47 -
2.5 Institutional Routines ................................................................................................... - 50 -
2.6 Target Orientation/Target “Culture” .......................................................................... - 51 -
2.7 News Translation as Localisation ................................................................................ - 54 -
2.7.1 Why Localisation not Acculturation? .................................................................. - 59 -
2.8 Mainstreamism .............................................................................................................. - 77 -
CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................ - 87 -
DATA DESCRIPTION AND METHODOLOGY
3.1 Data Collection .............................................................................................................. - 87 -
3.1.1 News Items Set of Data .......................................................................................... - 88 -
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3.1.1.1 Mega-data ............................................................................................................ - 89 -
3.1.1.2 Macro-Dataset and Micro-Dataset .................................................................... - 95 -
3.1.1.3 Robert Fisk .......................................................................................................... - 97 -
3.1.1.4 Al Jazeera: History and Influence ..................................................................... - 98 -
3.1.1.4.1 Proclaimed Objectives of Al Jazeera ............................................................ - 100 -
3.1.1.4.2 Success and Influence of Al Jazeera ............................................................. - 101 -
3.1.2 Interviews Dataset and Interviews Setup .......................................................... - 103 -
3.1.2.1 Locating Interviewees ....................................................................................... - 103 -
3.1.2.2 Description of the Interviewees........................................................................ - 104 -
3.1.2.3 The Setting and the Time ................................................................................. - 105 -
3.1.2.4 The Questions .................................................................................................... - 105 -
3.1.3 Comments Set of Data ......................................................................................... - 108 -
3.2 Analytical Framework ................................................................................................ - 111 -
3.2.1 CDA: An Analysis Tool ....................................................................................... - 111 -
3.2.1.1 What Does CDA Do? ........................................................................................ - 112 -
3.2.1.2 Discourse ............................................................................................................ - 114 -
3.2.1.3 Ideology .............................................................................................................. - 115 -
3.2.1.3.1 Ideology and Norms of Localisation ............................................................. - 116 -
3.2.1.4 Power .................................................................................................................. - 117 -
3.2.2 The Process of Analysing the Texts .................................................................... - 118 -
3.2.2.1 Thematic Coding Procedure ............................................................................ - 121 -
3.2.3 Netnography ......................................................................................................... - 125 -
3.2.3.1 Ethnography in Virtual Locales ...................................................................... - 126 -
3.2.3.2 Online Marketing .............................................................................................. - 127 -
3.2.3.3 Applying Netnography: Limitations and Solutions ....................................... - 129 -
CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................................. - 136 -
THEMATIC CODING OF THE DATASETS: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
4.1 Thematic Coding of the News Items Set of Data ...................................................... - 137 -
4.1.1 Fisk’s Protagonism............................................................................................... - 141 -
4.1.2 Fisk’s Anti-regimism and Reformism ................................................................ - 144 -
4.1.3 Al Jazeera’s Protagonism: Pan-Arabism and Islamistism............................... - 148 -
4.1.4 Al Jazeera's Anti-regimism and Reformism ..................................................... - 158 -
4.1.5 Fisk and Al Jazeera: Concordance and Discordance ....................................... - 163 -
4.2 Thematic Coding of the Interviews Dataset ............................................................. - 168 -
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4.2.1 Discussion.............................................................................................................. - 171 -
4.3 Thematic Coding of Readership Comments............................................................. - 174 -
4.3.1 Discussion.............................................................................................................. - 182 -
CHAPTER FIVE .................................................................................................................. - 188 -
AL JAZEERA LOCALISATION TECHNIQUES:
ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Al Jazeera Localisation Techniques .......................................................................... - 188 -
5.1.1 Selection Technique: In-gatekeeping and Out-gatekeeping ............................ - 191 -
5.1.2 Reorganisation and Substitution Technique ..................................................... - 196 -
5.1.3 The Curious Case of Indirect Speech ................................................................. - 202 -
5.1.3.1 Omission Technique ......................................................................................... - 206 -
5.1.3.2 Addition Technique .......................................................................................... - 214 -
5.2 Establishing Al Jazeera: Qatar’s Motives ................................................................ - 221 -
5.2.1 Al Jazeera’s Spurious Ideologies and Agenda Performers .............................. - 231 -
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... - 247 -
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................. - 252 -
NEWS ARTICLES ............................................................................................................... - 269 -
WEBSITES ............................................................................................................................ - 300 -
TV SHOWS AND VIDEOS ................................................................................................. - 302 -
APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................... - 303 -

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to pay special thankfulness, warmth and appreciation
to the persons below who made my research successful and
assisted me at every point to achieve my goal:
My Supervisor, Professor Luise von Flotow for her vital support
and assistance. Her encouragement made it possible to finish this
study.
My Former Supervisor, Associate Professor Marc Charron, whose
help and sympathetic attitude facilitated submitting my work in
time.
Ms. Joanie Vachon, to whom I will always be in debt for her
meticulous proofreading of my work.
My Mother and Sisters, without whom I would have never done it.

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LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES AND CHARTS
Figure 1 Position of the researcher in academic research 20
Table 1 The New York Times, The Independent, Al Arabiya, and 91
Al Jazeera News Items and localised news items on
the Arab Spring in the mega-data (2010-2014)
Table 2 Frequency and correlation of using the expression “Arab 93
Spring” (A/S) in The New York Times, The Independent,
Al Arabiya, and Al Jazeera (2010-2014)
Table 3 Description of the interviewees 105
Table 4 Samples of the interviews’ questions and answers 107
Table 5 Steps of Thematic Coding (adapted from Braun 122
and Clarke’s (2006, p. 16) Table 1)
Table 6 Summary of Al Jazeera’s themes in the news items 141
dataset with sample examples and arguments
Table 7 Indicator of interest in Palestinian and Arab affairs 151
Table 8 Indicator of Interest in political Islamists 152
Table 9 Localisation of Robert Fisk’s articles in Al Jazeera 166
and Al Arabiya (2010-2014)
Chart 1 Differences in Al Jazeera’s and Fisk’s attitudes towards 167
the events of the Arab Spring as represented by the exclusively
localised vs. referentially localised news items
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LIST OF MAPS AND IMAGES
Map1 Countries of the Arab League which proclaim Arabic as the/an official 24
language
Image 1 Libyan postal stamp that dates back to the Gaddafi era 29
Image 2 Colonel Moammar Gadhafi former ruler of Libya (1969-2011) 30
Image 3 Air Chief Marshal Mohammad Hosni Mubarak former 30
President of Egypt (1981-2011)
Image 4 Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh former President of Yemen (1978-2012) 31
Image 5 General Zine El Abidine Ben Ali former President of Tunisia (1987–2011) 31
Image 6 Bashar Assad President of Syria (2000- ) 31
Image 7 Self-immolated Mohammad Bouazizi 32
Image 8 Tunisian policewoman/municipality agent Fadia Hamdi 32
Image 9 Nigel Farage promoting an anti-refugees poster during the Brexit 64
campaign
Image 10 Qatari agals 72
Image 11 Saudi agals 72
Image 12 Colin Powell giving a presentation to the United Nations Security Council 85
while holding a model vial of anthrax
Image 13 Tunisian lawyers protest 195
Image 14 Banknote showing Qatar and Dubai using the same currency 223
Image 15 Border claims of Bahrain and Qatar 224
Image 16 Document that supports Bahrain’s claim to Zubara 225
Map 2 Location and size of Qatar 226
Image 17 Qatari flag (left) painted on wall in Benghazi-Libya 240
Image 18 Egyptian protestors burn the Qatari flag 242
Image 19 Libyan protestors burn the Qatari flag 242
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