The Sound of Conflict: A Quantitative Analysis of Editorial Tone in Liberal, State-Aligned and Conservative Media Framing of the Iran-Israel Conflict (2023-2025)

Abstract

This research consists of a quantitative content analysis of the editorial tone employed by three ideologically opposing newspapers, namely, Haaretz, a liberal Israeli newspaper; Kayhan, an International state-aligned Iranian newspaper; and The Wall Street Journal, a conservative American newspaper, on the Iran-Israel conflict between October 2023 and March 2025. Analyzing 677 editorials, the research is a systematic measurement of the sentiment positive, negative, and neutral across the countries of Iran, Israel, and the United States. Findings that proved statistically (using chi-square) that there is a profound and predictable ideological polarization in sentiment. Haaretz is overwhelmingly negative to Israel, 97.6% Kayhan is universally negative to Israel, 100% and the US, 94.7% while being positive to Iran, 72.4%. WSJ is strongly positive to Israel, 84.8% and is negative to Iran, 68.5%. The results demonstrate the importance and quantifiability of editorial tone as a critical instrument of the use of media as ideological expression that each media outlet uses to fulfil different geopolitical mandates of internal critique, resistance mobilization or strategic alliance reinforcement.