Translation by Propagandist Media MEMRI as a Case Study

Abstract

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) TV is a media agency which portrays, to an English-speaking audience, a stereotypical representation of Islam through subjective and selective translation. Despite its accurate translations on a linguistic level, MEMRI practices paralinguistic manipulation through its selective choices for translation to further its ideological agenda. This thesis aims to explore MEMRI’s skopos-driven selective translation by discussing two narratives it constructs: the Allahu-Akbar narrative and the terrorisation of childhood narrative. The consequences of this Islamophobic frame by such narratives are then investigated. In conclusion, the impact of MEMRI’s selective approach to translation is proven to be a biased strategy for the achievement of its political purposes and the reinforcement of Islamophobic discourse.