Van Dijk’s ideological square in sourcing: was the Arab silenced or quoted in the Western media’s coverage of the 2011 revolution in Egypt?

This paper examines the Western media's coverage of the 2011 revolution in Egypt and its sourcing patterns using Van Dijk's ideological square framework. The study implements the research tools provided by Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to investigate the representation of Arab voices and analyzes whether they were silenced or adequately quoted. The findings reveal that the selected media outlets perpetuated power imbalances and social inequalities through their sourcing practices. The media over-quoted statements that supported Western narratives and marginalized or excluded statements that challenged these narratives or portrayed positive aspects of Arab culture and religion. This bias in sourcing patterns reflects a reproduction of dominant ideologies and reinforces the classical Orientalist discourse that positions Islam and Islamists as inferior entities. Furthermore, the study highlights the creation of dichotomous divisions between the Westerner and the Arab. The Westerner is portrayed as powerful and authoritative, while the Arab is depicted as subservient and in need of instruction.