Digital Divides: Exploring Narrative within the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict through X

Abstract

Social media has become deeply embedded in global culture, serving not just as a source of entertainment, but also as a widely trusted news outlet. The interaction on existing posts and the creation of new content by individuals foster a &ldquo;community&rdquo; where users can engage with each other and shape or amplify narratives and biases based on the content shared. This thesis examines social media, specifically X, as both a news source and a tool for mass communication in the context of international civil conflict, using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a case study. The goal is to understand how individual biases in posts about the conflict align with or differ from the narratives and biases expressed by news organizations on X. To achieve this, I will address the question: &ldquo;Do the demonstrated narratives and biases surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on X differ between individual users and news organizations?&rdquo;</p