Patronage, Ideology, and Manipulation in MEMRI’s Translations on the 2023 Gaza War

Bilal Sayaheen; Huda Alazzam

doi:10.47012/jjmll.17.2.7

Authors

Bilal Sayaheen Department of Translation, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
Huda Alazzam Department of Translation, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47012/jjmll.17.2.7

Abstract

This study investigates the role of patronage, manipulation and ideology in the media translation of news headlines provided by The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) about the Gaza war in 2023. The study also examines the reasons and motives behind MEMRI’s selection of news for translation. To conduct this study, the researchers follow Lefevere’s concepts of patronage, manipulation, and ideology in translation to analyze the translation of news headlines. Fourteen translated news headlines about the Gaza war in 2023 published by MEMRI, in addition to fourteen non-translated news headlines by MEMRI, were collected and analyzed. The results showed that MEMRI uses omission, addition, and rewriting in its translation of news headlines to reshape the meaning of the original headline. The study also reveals that MEMRI uses selectivity in its choice of news headlines to be translated, which can be attributed to the organization’s ideology and orientations.

Keywords: MEMRI translations, Gaza war, Ideology, Arabic, Patronage, Re-writing, Manipulation, Media translation, October 7 events.

Highlights:

1. This study has investigated the role of patronage, manipulation, and ideology in influencing the translation of news headlines, reshaping discourse and aligning readers' perception with the patron’s ideology.

2. The examples discussed show that MEMRI's translators opted for certain translation strategies that facilitated the process of (re)writing and manipulating the news headlines released by Arabic sources.

3. The analysis also showed that MEMRI rewrites news headlines, replacing them with titles that provoke readers' reactions and lead to different interpretations of the original headlines.

4. MEMRI’s ideology is clearly reflected in the process of translating news headlines and its selective approach to news headlines to be translated.

5. MEMRI’s selective approach to choosing news headlines constructs a specific narrative for the Western world.