Ideological Translation and Mass Communication: A Modernization or a Conflict Enterprise? A Case Study of Al-Jazeera and Al Arabiya

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the functional and dysfunctional roles of ideological translation and mass media in the Arab World and challenges naïve concepts of translation, like 'faithfulness' and 'loyalty' to the text writer, and of mass media like 'modernization', 'democratization', etc. It hypothesizes that both translation and mass communication can play a functional role promoting modernization and development or a dysfunctional one promoting chaos and conflict and that both have recently played a dysfunctional role in the Arab world. The importance of the study is twofold. At the topic level: a)-Ideological translation has critical consequences on shaping the Arab societies; b)-If the ideology of translation and the translation of ideology are linked directly to mass media, then we can imagine the tremendous effects on message receivers, especially if we are talking about an age of globalization where the international public opinion is shaped and reshaped by the dominant global media. At the theoretical level: a)-It attempts to fill in the gap in the literature on translation and mass communication in the Arab World; b)- It discusses this issue from a multidisciplinary perspective: translation studies and ideology, pragmatics, theory of power, theory of conflict in international relations and communication theories; let alone the English/Arabic duality which is quite rare in the literature. The analysis of samples collected from Al-Jazeera English (AJE) and Arabic (AJA) and Al-Arabiya channels reveals many interesting results. Ideological translation has recently played a dysfunctional role in the Arab societies creating conflict areas. The internationally-dominated mass media, like Al- Jazeera, have been dysfunctional and promoted a neocolonial enterprise of chaos, conflicts and wars instead of modernization, development and peace. Such a role leads to grave distortions in message-content receivers' value and information system globally. Al Arabiya, on the other hand, as an example for confrontation media has a long way to go in order to be functional. There is a gap in translation and mass communication models accounting for their involvement in modernization or conflicts in the Arab societies. Consequences of dysfunctionality include, but not restricted to, an increase in terrorism. The U.S. and the West diligent attempts to convince the international public opinion of modernization are absolutely deceptive.