Farah Maraqa (She/ Her)

I am a PhD Candidate researching the "German Media Narratives on Palestine between 2017–2023".

My doctoral research examines how German mainstream media constructs and circulates narratives about Palestine and Palestinians — particularly in relation to national identity, memory politics, and the rise of right-wing populism.

Building on Herman and Chomsky’s Propaganda Model, the study analyses ownership, sourcing, advertising, ideology, and flak as structural filters that shape what becomes visible—and what remains silenced.

As a journalist who has worked within German media institutions, I approach this research with first-hand insight into how these filters operate in practice — how newsroom cultures, political sensitivities, and moral frameworks can quietly shape what is said, and what is not.

Using a mixed-methods approach that combines content analysis and critical discourse analysis, the project explores:

- How structural and cultural biases shape reporting before and after major political events.

- How moral frameworks rooted in Germany’s remembrance culture define what counts as “acceptable” speech about Israel and Palestine.

- How these frameworks influence journalistic freedom, professional solidarity, and the normalisation of self-censorship.

Ultimately, the research asks how Germany’s self-image as a moral authority — grounded in its post-Holocaust identity — impacts not only its media portrayal of Palestine, but the credibility of journalism and democracy itself.