Abstract

The aim of this academic article is firstly to survey and assessthe retreat and negligence of human rights and free speech in the American arena with special reference to the speeches, tweets and official statements of the American President Trump; and secondly to compare such discourse to the one produced by Al-Jazeera channel on the same issues, highlighting dynamics and differences between both. In so doing, and by applying the qualitative content analysis (QCA), the article puts forth two different readings for the perceptions of human rights and free speech discourses produced by both sides, and sheds light on the manifestations and implications of both rhetoric.

Keywords: hatred; human rights; democracy; defamation; Al-Jazeera Channel; free speech; legal action; rhetoric; President Trump; QCA